Review of river fisheries valuation in Central and South America

Unlike Africa and Asia, where a large part of the population are heavily dependent upon fishing for their livelihoods, fishing for a living in the interior of Central and South America (CSA) remains a marginal occupation for all but the most isolated of families. As such, the economics and management of fisheries on the continent have received little attention from within the continent and the rest of the world. This study shows that while a number of studies have been carried out on fishing in the region, they tend to be limited in their geographical focus and time scale. Although fishing of freshwater species may appear to be comparatively insignificant in the region, the rivers of CSA are very important. This report attempts to analyze the literature available on CSA river fisheries and attempts to draw out an economic value of these fisheries. It is divided into a number of sections. First, the authors describe the major river basins on the continent, characterize their fisheries, and place freshwater fisheries in CSA into a global context. Second, the authors provide a review of valuation techniques for fisheries and use this analytical framework to review the principal literature on freshwater fisheries in the region. Then they turn their attention to the economic impact of dams and water abstraction schemes, reviewing the available literature to ascertain how/if economic values are computed for the impact on fisheries. Finally, they offer some conclusions and recommendations on the direction for future studies of freshwater fisheries in CSA.

The Metabolic Core and Catalytic Switches Are Fundamental Elements in the Self-Regulation of the Systemic Metabolic Structure of Cells

19 p.

Una iniciativa social en la recuperación textil que genera empleo: Berohi S. Coop.

[ES] El incremento del consumo de ropa provoca que año a año aumente el volumen de ropa desechada, y con éste, la conciencia sobre la necesidad de reutilizar dicho recurso. Berohi S. Coop. es una de las empresas dedicadas a la recuperación y reciclaje del textil usado, con origen en Bizkaia. La concepción inicial y desarrollo del proyecto empresarial Berohi S. Coop. constituyen el eje central del caso.

Introducción: Variedad de temas y de tratamientos sobre la Innovación

[ES] Este artículo de introducción al número especial sobre innovación de la revista Cuadernos de Gestión consta de dos apartados bien diferenciados. En el primero, se recogen algunas ideas que pueden ser útiles para los lectores que se aproximan al tema de la innovación y observan una gran variedad conceptual. En concreto, se ha tratado de explicar de una manera más o menos exhaustiva el concepto de Open Innovation (OI). La OI surge del reconocimiento de que la empresa no puede innovar de manera aislada, y, por lo tanto, necesita siempre adquirir las ideas y los recursos del entorno exterior.

La arqueología comercial en España: ¿un sistema sectorial de innovación?

[ES] La publicación de la Ley de Patrimonio Histórico Español en 1985 y el desarrollo de la construcción, especialmente de grandes infraestructuras, en la primera década del siglo XXI han sido los factores desencadenantes de la arqueología comercial en España.

“Aditz bakarraren” teoria XIX. mendeko euskal gramatikagintzan

Joseba A. Lakarra & José Ignacio Hualde, arg., Studies in Basque and Historical Linguistics in memoriam of R. L. Trask - R. L. Trasken oroitzapenetan ikerketak Euskalaritzaz eta Hizkuntzalaritza Historikoaz

Influence of nutrient intake on antioxidant capacity, muscle damage and white blood cell count in female soccer players

11 p.

Bilaketan oinarritutako mashup aplikazioa ingelesez idazteko

API bidez eskainitako web zerbitzu baten oinarritutako mashup aplikazioa da, ingelesez idatzitako testu batean okerrak antzeman ahal izateko. REST, JSON, AJAX, Javascript eta jQuery erabiliz garatu da web aplikazio hau.

The Impact of Endothall on the Aquatic Plant Community of Kress Lake, Washington

CA dense mat-forming population of Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum L . ) was interfering with fishing and recreation in a small western Washington lake. A low concentration (1.5 mg/L active ingredient) of the herbicide endothall formulated as Aquathol® K was used in 2000 to attempt to selectively control the Eurasian watermilfoil. Aquatic plant biomass and frequency data were collected before treatment, ten weeks after treatment and during the growing season for 3 additional years. Macrophyte data were analyzed to assess the herbicide’s impacts on Eurasian watermilfoil as well as the rest of the aquatic plant community. Results showed a significant decrease in Eurasian watermilfoil biomass and frequency 10 weeks after treatment. The Eurasian watermilfoil continued to be present, but at a significantly reduced level through the remainder of the study (3 years after treatment). Of the native plant species, large-leaf pondweed ( Potamogeton amplifolius Tucker . ) frequency and biomass was significantly reduced after treatment. Common elodea ( Elodea canadensis Rich.), muskgrass ( Chara sp. Vallaint.) and bladderwort ( Utricularia sp. L.) all increased significantly after treatment. (PDF has 6 pages.)

Food habits as an ecological partitioning mechanism in the nearshore rockfishes (Sebastes) of Carmel Bay, California

In the kelp forests of Carmel Bay there are six common rockfishes (Sebastes). Three are pelagic (S. serranoides, S. mystinus, and S. melanops) and two are demersal (S. chrysomelas and S. carnatus). The sixth (S. atrovirens) is generally found a few meters above the sea floor. The pelagic rockfishes which are spatially overlapping have different feeding habits. All rockfishes except S. mystinus utilize juvenile rockfishes as their primary food source during the upwelling season. Throughout the non-upwelling season, most species consume invertebrate prey. The pelagic rockfishes have shorter maxillary bones and longer gill rakers than their demersal congeners, both specializations for taking smaller prey. They also have longer intestines, enabling them to utilize less digestable foods. S. mystinus, which has the longest intestine, may be able to use algae as a food source. Fat reserves are accumulated from July through October, when prey is most abundant. Fat is depleted throughout the rest of the year as food becomes scarce and development of sexual organs takes place. Gonad development occurs from November through February for all species except S. atrovirens.

QM/MM and Classical Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Histidine-Tagged Peptide Immobilization on Nickel Surface

The hybrid quantum mechanics (QM) and molecular mechanics (MM) method is employed to simulate the His-tagged peptide adsorption to ionized region of nickel surface. Based on the previous experiments, the peptide interaction with one Ni ion is considered. In the QM/MM calculation, the imidazoles on the side chain of the peptide and the metal ion with several neighboring water molecules are treated as QM part calculated by "GAMESS", and the rest atoms are treated as MM part calculated by "TINKER". The integrated molecular orbital/molecular mechanics (IMOMM) method is used to deal with the QM part with the transitional metal. By using the QM/MM method, we optimize the structure of the synthetic peptide chelating with a Ni ion. Different chelate structures are considered. The geometry parameters of the QM subsystem we obtained by QM/MM calculation are consistent with the available experimental results. We also perform a classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with the experimental parameters for the synthetic peptide adsorption on a neutral Ni(100) surface. We find that half of the His-tags are almost parallel with the substrate, which enhance the binding strength. Peeling of the peptide from the Ni substrate is simulated in the aqueous solvent and in vacuum, respectively. The critical peeling forces in the two environments are obtained. The results show that the in-tidazole rings are attached to the substrate more tightly than other bases in this peptide.

The Annual Economic Survey of Federal Gulf Shrimp Permit Holders: Report on the Design, Implementation, and Descriptive Results for 2006

This technical memorandum documents the design, implementation, data preparation, and descriptive results for the 2006 Annual Economic Survey of Federal Gulf Shrimp Permit Holders. The data collection was designed by the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center Social Science Research Group to track the financial and economic status and performance by vessels holding a federal moratorium permit for harvesting shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. A two page, self-administered mail survey collected total annual costs broken out into seven categories and auxiliary economic data. In May 2007, 580 vessels were randomly selected, stratified by state, from a preliminary population of 1,709 vessels with federal permits to shrimp in offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The survey was implemented during the rest of 2007. After many reminder and verification phone calls, 509 surveys were deemed complete, for an ineligibility-adjusted response rate of 90.7%. The linking of each individual vessel’s cost data to its revenue data from a different data collection was imperfect, and hence the final number of observations used in the analyses is 484. Based on various measures and tests of validity throughout the technical memorandum, the quality of the data is high. The results are presented in a standardized table format, linking vessel characteristics and operations to simple balance sheet, cash flow, and income statements. In the text, results are discussed for the total fleet, the Gulf shrimp fleet, the active Gulf shrimp fleet, and the inactive Gulf shrimp fleet. Additional results for shrimp vessels grouped by state, by vessel characteristics, by landings volume, and by ownership structure are available in the appendices. The general conclusion of this report is that the financial and economic situation is bleak for the average vessels in most of the categories that were evaluated. With few exceptions, cash flow for the average vessel is positive while the net revenue from operations and the “profit” are negative. With negative net revenue from operations, the economic return for average shrimp vessels is less than zero. Only with the help of government payments does the average owner just about break even. In the short-term, this will discourage any new investments in the industry. The financial situation in 2006, especially if it endures over multiple years, also is economically unsustainable for the average established business. Vessels in the active and inactive Gulf shrimp fleet are, on average, 69 feet long, weigh 105 gross tons, are powered by 505 hp motor(s), and are 23 years old. Three-quarters of the vessels have steel hulls and 59% use a freezer for refrigeration. The average market value of these vessels was $175,149 in 2006, about a hundred-thousand dollars less than the average original purchase price. The outstanding loans averaged $91,955, leading to an average owner equity of $83,194. Based on the sample, 85% of the federally permitted Gulf shrimp fleet was actively shrimping in 2006. Of these 386 active Gulf shrimp vessels, just under half (46%) were owner-operated. On average, these vessels burned 52,931 gallons of fuel, landed 101,268 pounds of shrimp, and received $2.47 per pound of shrimp. Non-shrimp landings added less than 1% to cash flow, indicating that the federal Gulf shrimp fishery is very specialized. The average total cash outflow was $243,415 of which $108,775 was due to fuel expenses alone. The expenses for hired crew and captains were on average $54,866 which indicates the importance of the industry as a source of wage income. The resulting average net cash flow is $16,225 but has a large standard deviation. For the population of active Gulf shrimp vessels we can state with 95% certainty that the average net cash flow was between $9,500 and $23,000 in 2006. The median net cash flow was $11,843. Based on the income statement for active Gulf shrimp vessels, the average fixed costs accounted for just under a quarter of operating expenses (23.1%), labor costs for just over a quarter (25.3%), and the non-labor variable costs for just over half (51.6%). The fuel costs alone accounted for 42.9% of total operating expenses in 2006. It should be noted that the labor cost category in the income statement includes both the actual cash payments to hired labor and an estimate of the opportunity cost of owner-operators’ time spent as captain. The average labor contribution (as captain) of an owner-operator is estimated at about $19,800. The average net revenue from operations is negative $7,429, and is statistically different and less than zero in spite of a large standard deviation. The economic return to Gulf shrimping is negative 4%. Including non-operating activities, foremost an average government payment of $13,662, leads to an average loss before taxes of $907 for the vessel owners. The confidence interval of this value straddles zero, so we cannot reject, with 95% certainty, that the population average is zero. The average inactive Gulf shrimp vessel is generally of a smaller scale than the average active vessel. Inactive vessels are physically smaller, are valued much lower, and are less dependent on loans. Fixed costs account for nearly three quarters of the total operating expenses of $11,926, and only 6% of these vessels have hull insurance. With an average net cash flow of negative $7,537, the inactive Gulf shrimp fleet has a major liquidity problem. On average, net revenue from operations is negative $11,396, which amounts to a negative 15% economic return, and owners lose $9,381 on their vessels before taxes. To sustain such losses and especially to survive the negative cash flow, many of the owners must be subsidizing their shrimp vessels with the help of other income or wealth sources or are drawing down their equity. Active Gulf shrimp vessels in all states but Texas exhibited negative returns. The Alabama and Mississippi fleets have the highest assets (vessel values), on average, yet they generate zero cash flow and negative $32,224 net revenue from operations. Due to their high (loan) leverage ratio the negative 11% economic return is amplified into a negative 21% return on equity. In contrast, for Texas vessels, which actually have the highest leverage ratio among the states, a 1% economic return is amplified into a 13% return on equity. From a financial perspective, the average Florida and Louisiana vessels conform roughly to the overall average of the active Gulf shrimp fleet. It should be noted that these results are averages and hence hide the variation that clearly exists within all fleets and all categories. Although the financial situation for the average vessel is bleak, some vessels are profitable. (PDF contains 101 pages)

A bioregional classification of the continental shelf of northeastern North America for conservation analysis and planning based on representation

Understanding how well National Marine Sanctuaries and other marine protected areas represent the diversity of species present within and among the biogeographic regions where they occur is essential for assessing their conservation value and identifying gaps in the protection of biological diversity. One of the first steps in any such assessment should be the development of clearly defined and scientifically justified planning boundaries representing distinct oceanographic conditions and faunal assemblages. Here, we propose a set of boundaries for the continental shelf of northeastern North America defined by subdivisions of the Eastern Temperate Province, based on a review and synthesis (i.e. meta-analysis) of the scientific literature. According to this review, the Eastern Temperate Province is generally divided into the Acadian and Virginian Subprovinces. Broad agreement places the Scotian Shelf, Gulf of Maine, and Bay of Fundy within the Acadian Subprovince. The proper association of Georges Bank is less clear; some investigators consider it part of the Acadian and others part of the Virginian. Disparate perspectives emerge from the analysis of different groups of organisms. Further, while some studies suggest a distinction between the Southern New England shelf and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic Bight, others describe the region as a broad transition zone with no unique characteristics of its own. We suggest there exists sufficient evidence to consider the Scotian Shelf, Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, Southern New England, and Southern Mid-Atlantic Bight as distinct biogeographic regions from a conservation planning perspective, and present a set of proposed mapped boundaries. (PDF contains 23 pages.)

Recent Oyster researches on Chesapeake Bay in Maryland

At one time Maryland produced more oysters annually than the rest of the world combined, including all species used for food. This document shows the decline in production to one sixth of the 1884 yield in 1929-1930. Observations over the course of the last decade have indicated two major factors responsible for the decline in oyster production. Reduction of brood stock stands first, while failing to provide clutch (shells) for the setting purposes has been a close second. (PDF contains 29 pages)

Acceso a catálogo de biblioteca desde móviles Android y navegadores mediante servicios web

Este PFC trata la construcción de un sistema de acceso al catálogo de una biblioteca doméstica a través de distintas interfaces de usuario que hacen uso de unos mismos servicios web REST expuestos en un servidor Java EE. Su desarrollo implica la integración de múltiples tecnologías open source a varios niveles.