Incorporating Local Water Quality in Welfare Measures of Agri-environmental Policy: A Choice Modelling Approach Employing GIS

The spatial distribution of agro-environmental policy benefits has important implications for the efficient allocation of management effort. The practical convenience of relying on sample mean values of individual benefits for aggregation can come at the cost of biased aggregate estimates. The main objective of this paper is to test spatial hypotheses regarding respondents’ local water quality and quantity, and their willingness-to-pay for improvements in water quality attributes. This paper combines choice experiment and spatially related water quality data via a Geographical Information System (GIS) to develop a method that evaluates the influence of respondents’ local water quality on willingness-to-pay for river and stream conservation programs in Canterbury, New Zealand. Results show that those respondents who live in the vicinity of low quality waterway are willing to pay more for improvements relative to those who live near to high quality waterways.Water Quality, Choice Experiment, Geographical Information System, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Q51, Q25, Q58,

Testing Different Types of Benefit Transfer in Valuation of Ecosystem Services: New Zealand Winegrowing Case Studies

Most ecosystem services (ES) are neither priced nor marketed. Resource managers may fail to take into account degradation of unpriced services in their resource management decisions. Being able to estimate values for ES is fundamental to designing policies to induce resource users to provide (or improve) ES at levels that are acceptable to society. Conducting ecosystem valuation via non-market methods is costly and time consuming. Benefit Transfer (BT) using choice modeling (CM) is a potentially cost-effective method for valuing ES by transferring information from existing valuation studies (and study sites) to a target area of interest (policy sites). The prime objective of this paper is to examine the validity of BT and hence whether it is feasible to conduct the transfer process and assist policy making. The paper focuses on the environmental impact of winegrowing practices in two New Zealand winegrowing regions. The two sites, Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, have similar environmental issues and attributes but are geographically separated. The study estimates WTP and Compensating Surplus (CS) for ES applying CM and, subsequently, given the preferences of respondents across sites and populations, tests the transferability of unadjusted value transfer (WTP) and benefits function (CS) assessing four different types of BT.Benefit transfer, choice modeling, New Zealand winegrowing, ecosystem services,

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES FOR ACCESS OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION BY THE FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTIONS IN COIMBATORE DISTRICT

The study analyses the majority of the respondents 221 (42.5%) are assistant professors/ lecturers/senior lecturers, and 195 (37.5%) of them are associate professors followed by 104 (20%) of the respondents are professors. 331 (26.7%) of the respondents followed by the use of e-magazines by 182 (14.7%) respondents. The data shows that a large number of 263 (50.6%) of the respondents are “Highly Satisfied” with the lecturing materials followed by 257 (49.4%) of the respondents “Satisfied” with e-resources offering lecturing materials. This data presents that a large number of respondents 265 (51.0%) prefer gateway portal to a “Large Extent’ and 139 (26.7%) of the respondents prefer to a “Very Large Extent”. On the other hand, it has also been noticed that 105 (20.2%) of the respondents are “Less satisfied” whereas 11 (2.1%) of the respondents opted “No Comment”

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES FOR ACCESS OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION BY THE FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTIONS IN COIMBATORE DISTRICT

The study analyses the majority of the respondents 221 (42.5%) are assistant professors/ lecturers/senior lecturers, and 195 (37.5%) of them are associate professors followed by 104 (20%) of the respondents are professors. 331 (26.7%) of the respondents followed by the use of e-magazines by 182 (14.7%) respondents. The data shows that a large number of 263 (50.6%) of the respondents are “Highly Satisfied” with the lecturing materials followed by 257 (49.4%) of the respondents “Satisfied” with e-resources offering lecturing materials. This data presents that a large number of respondents 265 (51.0%) prefer gateway portal to a “Large Extent’ and 139 (26.7%) of the respondents prefer to a “Very Large Extent”. On the other hand, it has also been noticed that 105 (20.2%) of the respondents are “Less satisfied” whereas 11 (2.1%) of the respondents opted “No Comment”

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES FOR ACCESS OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION BY THE FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTIONS IN COIMBATORE DISTRICT

The study analyses the majority of the respondents 221 (42.5%) are assistant professors/ lecturers/senior lecturers, and 195 (37.5%) of them are associate professors followed by 104 (20%) of the respondents are professors. 331 (26.7%) of the respondents followed by the use of e-magazines by 182 (14.7%) respondents. The data shows that a large number of 263 (50.6%) of the respondents are “Highly Satisfied” with the lecturing materials followed by 257 (49.4%) of the respondents “Satisfied” with e-resources offering lecturing materials. This data presents that a large number of respondents 265 (51.0%) prefer gateway portal to a “Large Extent’ and 139 (26.7%) of the respondents prefer to a “Very Large Extent”. On the other hand, it has also been noticed that 105 (20.2%) of the respondents are “Less satisfied” whereas 11 (2.1%) of the respondents opted “No Comment”

Observation and Impact of the faculty attitude for disseminating Electronic information in the Engineering and Technology institutions

The study analyses Electronic information access pattern among the faculty members is the significant role in the Engineering institutions towards various tasks to fulfill by the respondents. The study aim to analyze that 76 percent of the respondents are male and 26 percent of them are female observed from the study. 31 (6%) respondents have completed Arts, Science and Management studies graduates by the faculty members, 91 (17.5%) have completed graduation in Engineering. highest number of respondents that about 409 6(33%) makes this sources for use of e-journals among the respondents. The Large number of 263 (50.6%) of the respondents noticed that “Highly Satisfied” with the Lecturing materials, it followed by 257 (49.4%) of the respondents “Satisfied” with e-resources offering lecturing materials. Also found to be the Large number of 406 (78.1%) respondents reported “Highly satisfied” for them used Google as their search engine while 114 (21.9%) of the respondents said “satisfied”. maximum number of 251 (48.3%) respondents rated that information sought from e-books are “Excellent.” large number of 280 (53.8%) respondents “Agree” that electronic journals save the time of the user. majority of 337 (64.8%) of the respondents “Agree” that e-resources are help them to keep abreast of knowledge. Further, the study analyses 55.0%) respondents acknowledged that e-resources expedite their teaching and research process and rated as “Large Extent.” About 427 (82.1%) respondents prefer ABI inform complete and reported “Very Large Extent”

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSES FOR ACCESS OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION BY THE FACULTY MEMBERS IN THE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTIONS IN COIMBATORE DISTRICT

The study analyses the majority of the respondents 221 (42.5%) are assistant professors/ lecturers/senior lecturers, and 195 (37.5%) of them are associate professors followed by 104 (20%) of the respondents are professors. 331 (26.7%) of the respondents followed by the use of e-magazines by 182 (14.7%) respondents. The data shows that a large number of 263 (50.6%) of the respondents are “Highly Satisfied” with the lecturing materials followed by 257 (49.4%) of the respondents “Satisfied” with e-resources offering lecturing materials. This data presents that a large number of respondents 265 (51.0%) prefer gateway portal to a “Large Extent’ and 139 (26.7%) of the respondents prefer to a “Very Large Extent”. On the other hand, it has also been noticed that 105 (20.2%) of the respondents are “Less satisfied” whereas 11 (2.1%) of the respondents opted “No Comment”

Nonmarket valuation of water quality: Addressing spatially heterogeneous preferences using GIS and a random parameter logit model

The spatial distribution of agri-environmental policy benefits has important implications for the efficient allocation of management effort. The practical convenience of relying on sample mean values of individual benefits for aggregation can come at the cost of biased aggregate estimates. The main objective of this paper is to test spatial hypotheses regarding respondents' local water quality and quantity, and their willingness-to-pay for improvements in water quality attributes. This paper combines choice experiment and spatially related water quality data via a Geographical Information System (GIS) to develop a method that evaluates the influence of respondents' local water quality on willingness-to-pay for river and stream conservation programmes in Canterbury, New Zealand. Results showed that those respondents who live in the vicinity of low quality waterways are willing to pay more for improvements relative to those who live near to high quality waterways. The study also found that disregarding the influence of respondents' local water quality data has a significant impact on the magnitude of welfare estimates and causes substantial underestimation of aggregated benefits

Superconducting cuprates and magnetoresistive manganites: similarities and contrasts

We report on three different experiments on high temperature superconducting (HTS) cuprates and colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) manganites, which clearly bring out some of the important similarities and differences between the two material systems. The experiments involve the measurement of temperature dependence of the mean squared displacement of Cu and Mn ions from their equilibrium site in the case of the cuprates and the manganites, respectively, and their correlation with the transport property. In both cases the key ions in the materials (Cu for HTS and Mn for CMR) exhibit vibration amplitudes larger than that of ions in simple Debye solids and clearly show discontinuities in the vibration amplitudes as a function of temperature close to the phase transition temperatures. These point to the unequivocal participation of phonons in the transport processes and possibly in the onset of the phase transitions (i.e. superconductivity and ferromagnetism). The second set of experiments, involves femtosecond optical excitation of micro-strip resistors made of cuprates or manganites, and the subsequent measurement of the changes in the impedance on a 20 ps time scale. In the case of the manganites one measures the time scales involved in the ionization and reformation of a Jahn-Teller polaron and also the decay times of magnon excitors. In the case of the cuprates one sees a highly efficient pair breaking process with a very sharp resonance, with a width of only 100 meV, which is indicative of the role of a large intermediate excitation in the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity. In the third experiment, spin-polarized electrons injected from a manganite electrode into a superconductor are observed to break pairs at a rate far larger than unpolarized electrons. This effect seems very orientation dependent for the case of YBCO, which may shed new light on the transport of quasi-particles at YBCO interfaces

Predictors of unfavorable responses to therapy in rifampicin-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis using an integrated approach of radiological presentation and sputum mycobacterial burden

INTRODUCTION: Despite the exalted status of sputum mycobacterial load for gauging pulmonary tuberculosis treatment and progress, Chest X-rays supplement valuable information for taking instantaneous therapeutic decisions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though literature on individual parameters is overwhelming, few studies have explored the interaction between radiographic parameters denoting severity with mycobacterial burden signifying infectivity. By using a sophisticated approach of integrating Chest X-ray parameters with sputum mycobacterial characteristics, evaluated at all the three crucial time points of TB treatment namely pre-treatment, end of intensive phase and completion of treatment, utilizing the interactive Cox Proportional Hazards model, we aimed to precisely deduce predictors of unfavorable response to TB treatment. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We extracted de-identified data from well characterized clinical trial cohorts that recruited rifampicin-sensitive Pulmonary TB patients without any comorbidities, taking their first spell of anti-tuberculosis therapy under supervision and meticulous follow up for 24 months post treatment completion, to accurately predict TB outcomes. Radiographic data independently obtained, interpreted by two experienced pulmonologists was collated with demographic details and, sputum smear and culture grades of participants by an independent statistician and analyzed using the Cox Proportional Hazards model, to not only adjust for confounding factors including treatment effect, but also explore the interaction between radiological and bacteriological parameters for better therapeutic application. RESULTS: Of 667 TB patients with data available, cavitation, extent of involvement, lower zone involvement, smear and culture grade at baseline were significant parameters predisposing to an unfavorable TB treatment outcome in the univariate analysis. Reduction in radiological lesions in Chest X-ray by at least 50% at 2 months and 75% at the end of treatment helped in averting unfavorable responses. Smear and Culture conversion at the end of 2 months was highly significant as a predictor (p2 zones, were 3.05 (95% CI: 1.12–8.23) and 1.92 (95% CI: 0.72–5.08) respectively. Patients without cavitation, zonal involvement 2 zones and 3+ smear grade individually and independently forecasted a poorer TB outcome. The interaction model revealed that Zonal involvement confined to 2 zones, without a cavity and smear grade up to 2+, constituting “minimal disease”, had a better prognosis. Radiological clearance >50% along with smear conversion at the end of intensive phase of treatment, observed to be a reasonable alternative to culture conversion in predicting a successful outcome. These parameters may potentially take up key positions as stratification factors for future trials contemplating on shorter TB regimens