Outdoor Recreation Valuation (ORVal) User Guide: Version 2.0

The ORVal Tool is web application developed by the Land, Environment, Economics and Policy (LEEP) Institute at the University of Exeter with support from DEFRA. It can be accessed at: http://leep.exeter.ac.uk/orval.Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra

Outdoor Recreation Valuation (ORVal) User Guide: Version 1.0

The ORVal Tool is web application developed by the Land, Environment, Economics and Policy (LEEP) Institute at the University of Exeter with support from DEFRA. It can be accessed at: http://leep.exeter.ac.uk/orval.Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra

Addressing the Collective Action Problem in Multiple-purchaser PES: An Experimental Investigation of Negotiated Payment Contributions

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Involving multiple-purchasers in a PES scheme has the potential to deliver numerous benefits including cost-sharing, expanded financing and broadened scope. That few such schemes exist is evidence of a classic market failure resulting from incentives to free-ride on the payments of other purchasers. In the context of an experimental investigation, this paper explores the role of negotiation and binding pre-commitments to payments in solving that collective action problem. Our novel experimental setup involves two purchasers seeking a level of payment acceptable to a single provider while also agreeing their own individual contributions to that payment. Contrasting treatments are used to explore complexities of the conditions under which negotiations might take place including asymmetries between the purchasers, treatments with incomplete information and treatments with uncertainty over the levels of benefit. We find that those complexities change the ease with which a negotiated agreement is achieved as well as the relative size of the payoffs enjoyed by the different parties to the negotiations Our findings are generally positive, showing that under many circumstances parties to a multiple-purchaser PES can successfully negotiate a mutually agreeable schedule of payments and contributions.This project was carried out as part of the Defra Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) Pilot Research Projects: River Fowey Improvement Scheme [NE0131]. It was also supported by a University of East Anglia studentship. Funding support is gratefully acknowledged

The ORVal Recreation Demand Model

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra

Multiple‑Purchaser Payments for Ecosystem Services: An Exploration Using Spatial Simulation Modelling

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this recordThis paper focuses on the issue of payments for ecosystem services (PES) mechanism design when the activity incentivised through the scheme benefits multiple groups, each of whom might be prepared to contribute to payments made through the scheme. In particular, we examine spatial coordination on the demand side of the market; that is to say, the question of which beneficiary of the PES scheme buys land-management changes on which land parcels. We show through spatial simulation modelling that it is possible for negotiation to lead to Pareto improvements when compared to solutions reached through non-cooperative strategic solutions; however, we also show that this result is not universal and only holds under certain conditions. In particular, the spatial correlation and spatial interdependence of the ecosystem service benefits are key in determining whether negotiation between beneficiaries is optimal and therefore if policy makers and designers of PES schemes should be prioritising bringing together multiple beneficiaries of ecosystem services

A summary of the BARREL campaigns: Technique for studying electron precipitation.

BARREL observed electron precipitation over wide range of energy and timescalesPrecipitating electron distribution is determined using spectroscopy for 19 January 2013 eventBARREL timing data has accuracy within sampling interval of 0.05 s

Gene pyramiding as a Bt resistance management strategy: How sustainable is this strategy?

Reports on the emergence of insect resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis delta endotoxins have raiseddoubts on the sustainability of Bt-toxin based pest management technologies. Corporate industry has responded to this challenge with innovations that include gene pyramiding among others. Pyramidingentails stacking multiple genes leading to the simultaneous expression of more than one toxin in a transgenic variety. Questions have been raised on the sustainability of gene pyramiding since the use of insecticide mixtures has shown that cross resistance and/or multiple resistance can render such strategies to be less effective in the long term. Current theoretical and practical evidence in insect population genetics suggest that gene pyramiding cannot be sustained as a resistance management strategy per se. Pyramiding is useful as a strategy to broaden the range of insect pests controlled in each transgenic variety, and it still has to be deployed in tandem with Bt resistance management strategies such as crop refugia, biological pest control, temporal and spatial crop rotations among other

Fat grafting and platelet-rich plasma in wound healing: a review of histology from animal studies

Stem cells could form the basis of a novel, autologous treatment for chronic wounds like diabetic foot ulcers. Fat grafts contain adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) but low survival of cells within the grafts is a major limitation. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may increase graft survival. This review examines the histology from animal studies on fat grafting, ADSC and PRP in wound healing. A literature review of major electronic databases was undertaken, and narrative synthesis performed. Data from 30 animal studies were included. ADSC increase angiogenesis over 14 days and often clinically accelerated wound healing. ADSC had a greater effect in animals with impaired wound healing (e.g. diabetes). Activated PRP increased viability of fat grafts. Despite the high number of studies, the quality is variable which weakens the evidence. It does suggest there is a benefit of ADSC, particularly in impaired wound healing. High-quality evidence in humans is required, to establish its clinical usefulness

Histological analysis of fat grafting with platelet-rich plasma for diabetic foot ulcers—A randomised controlled trial

Diabetic foot ulcers are often unresponsive to conventional therapy and are a leading cause of amputation. Animal studies have shown stem cells and growth factors can accelerate wound healing. Adipose-derived stem cells are found in fat grafts and mixing them with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may improve graft survival. This study aimed to establish the histological changes when diabetic foot ulcers are treated with fat grafts and PRP. A three-armed RCT was undertaken of 18 diabetic foot ulcer patients: fat grafting; fat grafting with PRP; and routine podiatry care. Biopsies were obtained at week 0, 1, and 4, and underwent quantitative histology/immunohistochemistry (H&E, CD31, and Ki67). Treatment with fat and PRP increased mean microvessel density at 1 week to 1645 (SD 96) microvessels/mm2 (+32%-45% to other arms, P =.035). PRP appeared to increase vascularity surrounding fat grafts, and histology suggested PRP may enhance fat graft survival. There was no clinical difference between arms. This study demonstrates PRP with fat grafts increased neovascularisation and graft survival in diabetic foot ulcers. The histology was not, however, correlated with wound healing time. Future studies should consider using apoptosis markers and fluorescent labelling to ascertain if enhanced fat graft survival is due to proliferation or reduced apoptosis. Trial registration NCT03085550