DISCUSSION: NEW FEDERAL RECLAMATION LAW AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

Land Economics/Use,

BACK TO THE FUTURE: A WILLINGNESS TO PLAY REEXAMINED

As the Central Arizona project is being completed and contracts are being negotiated, economic analysis continues to show that neither agriculture nor municipalities would benefit from the project if repayment actually is required according to previously suggested schedules. Earlier analyses were either ignored or condemned as farmers were willing to play a water development game in the face of uncertain future repayment requirements. The game of playing for subsidized water continues even as the buyers now face real costs rather than just some future possibility of incurring costs. Recent analysis is being used to help negotiate favorable delivery and repayment contracts. Experience has shown that once the physical development is in place, costs are negotiable.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

VALUING WILDLIFE FOR EFFICIENT MULTIPLE USE: ELK VERSUS CATTLE

A restructuring of current theoretical and empirical research efforts is required if valuation estimates are to be of use in multiple-use policy making, a restructuring that focuses on the impact of recreation quality on recreation benefits and efficient wildlife herd sizes. The argument is illustrated for cattle production and elk management on public lands.Livestock Production/Industries, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

ECONOMIC AND SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION OF PREDATOR CONTROL ALTERNATIVES

A simulation model containing both economic (monetary) and socio-environmental (value index) components is developed in a case study of predator control alternatives. Particular emphasis is given to the description and justification of the socio-economic model. The economic model is estimated in terms of producers’ and consumers’ surpluses. The empirical tradeoff function developed suggests that alternatives to recent predator control programs exist that could be “better” for both general public and producer interests. The general approach can serve as a prototype for policy evaluations involving multiple objectives.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

A WILLINGNESS TO PLAY: ANALYSIS OF WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

Economic analysis shows that the Central Arizona Project will be a poor investment from the point of view of individual farmers. Yet farmers support the Project. In this study of the economics and politics of the CAP, farmers are questioned as to their information, perceptions and motivations. Farmers are willing to play – not necessarily to pay.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Bosch and the Binding Effect of State Court Adjudications upon Subsequent Federal Tax Litigation

One of the unique facets of American federalism involves the interaction of state court decrees which determine or characterize an individual\u27s property rights with subsequent federal court litigation which imposes the federal tax burden upon those rights. While Congress determines what relationships are to be taxed, state law creates and state court adjudications measure these relationships.\u27 In 1934 the Supreme Court formulated the standard that the state court decision was to be followed by a federal tax court in the absence of collusion, since the decree established the state law in regard to the relevant property. However, the definitional and conceptual problems encountered by the various circuit courts led to a melange of interpretations and an inconsistent application of the Supreme Court test. The ensuing diversity in the circuits was resolved in June of 1967 with the Supreme Court decision in Commissioner v. Estate of Bosch. Holding that a state trial court adjudication of property rights is not binding upon subsequent tax litigation in a federal court and that the federal court is free to conduct an independent inquiry into the state law in the absence of a statement by the state\u27s highest court, the Court discarded the old binding unless collusive test and established a more restrictive standard. The purpose of this note is to examine the decision and its context and to evaluate the analytical and practical consequences of the new rule

CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATION OF HYBRID NANOSTRUCTURES FOR ENHANCED BIOLOGICAL IMAGING USING FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY TECHNIQUES

Fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool for interpreting the structure and function of biomolecules, and their interactions with one another. Understanding fundamental biological mechanisms is important to the development of improved treatments for a variety of diseases. Fluorescent tags are used to track the motion and longevity of such events, with the ability to monitor several biomolecules at once. Currently, many of these studies are conducted using bulk measurements, or several biological events at the same time, because the added light from several emitters can more easily overcome the high fluorescence background inherent to biological systems. Although important in their own right, these studies tend to cloud the mechanistic nature of most biological interactions. Single molecule fluorescence studies are preferred over bulk methods to gather information regarding biological interactions as they are capable of extrapolating more intricate details about an event, but the caveat is that fewer fluorescent tags means a greater demand for fluorophores that are very bright and photostable for long periods of time. My projects study the modifications that fluorophores undergo when their external environment is modified by nanoscale metallic apertures, called zero-mode waveguides (ZMWs). To probe these modifications, I characterize multiple combinations of fluorophores that emit in varying regions of the visible spectrum with ZMWs of different compositions. After determining the combinations that invoke the highest fluorescence efficiency for specific biological situations, I used the information to assist in the development of an imaging technique that allowed for the observation of single ligand-receptor interactions. By incorporating hybrid ZMW nanostructures with a novel microfluidic delivery chamber, this technique successfully imaged the binding of single epidermal growth factor (EGF) molecules to their corresponding receptors in living neuroblastoma cells. My final project performed a new characterization study focused on maximizing the fluorescent enhancement capabilities of ZMWs in three dimensions, and use the information to provide a practical guide for choosing ZMWs during future project development. These projects use a combination of fluorescence microscopy, nanofabrication, and single molecule isolation techniques to demonstrate the viability for using ZMWs to single biological interactions in living cells