Building economic capability to improve the management of marine resources in Australia: Final report

FRDC project 2008/306 Building economic capability to improve the management of marine resources in Australia was developed and approved in response to the widespread recognition and acknowledgement of the importance of incorporating economic considerations into marine management in Australia and of the persistent undersupply of suitably trained and qualified individuals capable of providing this input. The need to address this shortfall received broad based support and following widespread stakeholder consultation and building on previous unsuccessful State-based initiatives, a collaborative, cross-jurisdictional cross-institutional capability building model was developed. The resulting project sits within the People Development Program as part of FRDC���s ���investment in RD&E to develop the capabilities of the people to whom the industry entrusts its future���, and has addressed its objectives largely through three core activities: 1. The Fisheries Economics Graduate Research Training Program which provides research training in fisheries/marine economics through enrolment in postgraduate higher degree studies at the three participating Universities; 2. The Fisheries Economics Professional Training Program which aims to improve the economic literacy of non-economist marine sector stakeholders and was implemented in collaboration with the Seafood Cooperative Research Centre through the Future Harvest Masterclass in Fisheries Economics; and, 3. The Australian Fisheries Economics Network (FishEcon) which aims to strengthen research in the area of fisheries economics by creating a forum in which fisheries economists, fisheries managers and Ph.D. students can share research ideas and results, as well as news of upcoming research opportunities and events. These activities were undertaken by a core Project team, comprising economic researchers and teachers from each of the four participating institutions (namely the University of Tasmania, the University of Adelaide, Queensland University of Technology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), spanning three States and the Commonwealth. The Project team reported to and was guided by a project Steering Committee. Commensurate with the long term nature of the project objectives and some of its activities the project was extended (without additional resources) in 2012 to 30th June 2015.

Measurement of the WW+WZ Production Cross Section Using the lepton+jets Final State at CDF II

We report two complementary measurements of the WW+WZ cross section in the final state consisting of an electron or muon, missing transverse energy, and jets, performed using p\bar{p} collision data at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF II detector. The first method uses the dijet invariant mass distribution while the second more sensitive method uses matrix-element calculations. The result from the second method has a signal significance of 5.4 sigma and is the first observation of WW+WZ production using this signature. Combining the results gives sigma_{WW+WZ} = 16.0 +/- 3.3 pb, in agreement with the standard model prediction.

Search for WW and WZ production in lepton plus jets final state at CDF

We present a search for WW and WZ production in final states that contain a charged lepton (electron or muon) and at least two jets, produced in sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV ppbar collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron, using data corresponding to 1.2 fb-1 of integrated luminosity collected with the CDF II detector. Diboson production in this decay channel has yet to be observed at hadron colliders due to the large single W plus jets background. An artificial neural network has been developed to increase signal sensitivity, as compared with an event selection based on conventional cuts. We set a 95% confidence level upper limit of sigma_{WW}* BR(W->lnu,W->jets)+ sigma_{WZ}*BR(W->lnu,Z->jets)

First Observation of Vector Boson Pairs in a Hadronic Final State at the Tevatron Collider

We present the first observation in hadronic collisions of the electroweak production of vector boson pairs (VV, V=W, Z) where one boson decays to a dijet final state. The data correspond to 3.5������fb-1 of integrated luminosity of pp�� collisions at ���s=1.96������TeV collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We observe 1516��239(stat)��144(syst) diboson candidate events and measure a cross section ��(pp�� ���VV+X) of 18.0��2.8(stat)��2.4(syst)��1.1(lumi)������pb, in agreement with the expectations of the standard model.

Measurement of the b-hadron production cross section using decays to ��-D0X final states in pp�� collisions at ���s=1.96������TeV

We report a measurement of the production cross section for b hadrons in pp�� collisions at ���s=1.96������TeV. Using a data sample derived from an integrated luminosity of 83������pb-1 collected with the upgraded Collider Detector (CDF II) at the Fermilab Tevatron, we analyze b hadrons, Hb, partially reconstructed in the semileptonic decay mode Hb�����-D0X. Our measurement of the inclusive production cross section for b hadrons with transverse momentum pT>9������GeV/c and rapidity |y|<0.6 is ��=1.30��������b��0.05��������b(stat)��0.14��������b(syst)��0.07��������b(B), where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and from branching fractions, respectively. The differential cross sections d��/dpT are found to be in good agreement with recent measurements of the Hb cross section and well described by fixed-order next-to-leading logarithm predictions.

First Observation of Vector Boson Pairs in a Hadronic Final State at the Tevatron Collider

We present the first observation in hadronic collisions of the electroweak production of vector boson pairs (VV, V=W,Z) where one boson decays to a dijet final state . The data correspond to 3.5 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity of ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV collected by the CDFII detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We observe 1516+/-239(stat)+/-144(syst) diboson candidate events and measure a cross section sigma(ppbar->VV+X) of 18.0+/-2.8(stat)+/-2.4(syst)+/-1.1(lumi) pb, in agreement with the expectations of the standard model.

Measurement of the b-hadron production cross section using decays to ��-D0X final states in pp�� collisions at ���s=1.96������TeV

We report a measurement of the production cross section for b hadrons in pp�� collisions at ���s=1.96������TeV. Using a data sample derived from an integrated luminosity of 83������pb-1 collected with the upgraded Collider Detector (CDF II) at the Fermilab Tevatron, we analyze b hadrons, Hb, partially reconstructed in the semileptonic decay mode Hb�����-D0X. Our measurement of the inclusive production cross section for b hadrons with transverse momentum pT>9������GeV/c and rapidity |y|<0.6 is ��=1.30��������b��0.05��������b(stat)��0.14��������b(syst)��0.07��������b(B), where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and from branching fractions, respectively. The differential cross sections d��/dpT are found to be in good agreement with recent measurements of the Hb cross section and well described by fixed-order next-to-leading logarithm predictions.

Measurement of the b-hadron production cross section using decays to ��-D0X final states in pp�� collisions at ���s=1.96������TeV

We report a measurement of the production cross section for b hadrons in p-pbar collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV. Using a data sample derived from an integrated luminosity of 83 pb^-1 collected with the upgraded Collider Detector (CDF II) at the Fermilab Tevatron, we analyze b hadrons, H_b, partially reconstructed in the semileptonic decay mode H_b -> mu^- D^0 X. Our measurement of the inclusive production cross section for b hadrons with transverse momentum p_T > 9 GeV/c and rapidity |y|

Method-MS, final report 2010

Radiometric determination methods, such as alpha spectrometry require long counting times when low activities are to be determined. Mass spectrometric techniques as Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) have shown several advantages compared to traditional methods when measuring long-lived radionuclides. Mass spectrometric methods for determination of very low concentrations of elemental isotopes, and thereby isotopic ratios, have been developed using a variety of ion sources. Although primarily applied to the determination of the lighter stable element isotopes and radioactive isotopes in geological studies, the techniques can equally well be applied to the measurement of activity concentrations of long-lived low-level radionuclides in various samples using ���isotope dilution��� methods such as those applied in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Due to the low specific activity of long-lived radionuclides, many of these are more conveniently detected using mass spectrometric techniques. Mass spectrometry also enables the individual determination of Pu-239 and Pu-240, which cannot be obtained by alpha spectrometry. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) are rapidly growing techniques for the ultra-trace analytical determination of stable and long-lived isotopes and have a wide potential within environmental science, including ecosystem tracers and radio ecological studies. Such instrumentation, of course needs good radiochemical separation, to give best performance. The objectives of the project is to identify current needs and problems within low-level determination of long-lived radioisotopes by ICP-MS, to perform intercalibration and development and improvement of ICP-MS methods for the measurement of radionuclides and isotope ratios and to develop new methods based on modified separation chemistry applied to new auxiliary equipment.

Search for the Higgs boson in the all-hadronic final state using the CDF II detector

We report on a search for the production of the Higgs boson decaying to two bottom quarks accompanied by two additional quarks. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of approximately 4������fb-1 of pp�� collisions at ���s=1.96������TeV recorded by the CDF II experiment. This search includes twice the integrated luminosity of the previous published result, uses analysis techniques to distinguish jets originating from light flavor quarks and those from gluon radiation, and adds sensitivity to a Higgs boson produced by vector boson fusion. We find no evidence of the Higgs boson and place limits on the Higgs boson production cross section for Higgs boson masses between 100������GeV/c2 and 150������GeV/c2 at the 95% confidence level. For a Higgs boson mass of 120������GeV/c2, the observed (expected) limit is 10.5 (20.0) times the predicted standard model cross section.

Women, Management and Leadership - Naiset ja johtajuus : NASTA Women's Leadership Project Final Report

Leadership without the full participation of women not only excludes women individually and collectively, but is also a huge waste of talent, knowledge and expertise. And crucially, given the current state of society and the world, this aspect of gender inequality is likely to become even more important in the future. NASTA - Women���s Leadership: A Research and Education Development Project was established in 2005 as a national multi-university project mainly and generously funded by Finnish Ministry of Education. The project aims at producing new knowledge and increasing understanding about women���s leadership, as well as promoting women���s leadership through research, development of teaching, and public outreach. NASTA is a joint effort of three Finnish universities – Hanken School of Economics, University of Jyv��skyl�� School of Business and Economics, and the Helsinki School of Economics (now part of Aalto University) – and has been coordinated by Hanken. This report presents research and activities conducted within and around the project. NASTA activities have been many and various. They have examined the position and experiences of women in relation to leadership, management, organisation and work more generally. They have sought new knowledge about gender and leadership, on women leaders��� values, attitudes and behaviour, as well as about values, attitudes and behaviour in relation to women���s leadership. NASTA activities have included teaching, student supervision, research theses, research projects, publishing, networking, seminars, meetings, an international conference, and knowledge transfer into other sectors of society. The first section of the book introduces NASTA joint projects, including web-based teaching material, a survey of gender staffing and teaching on gender in business schools, critical review of previous research literature, and new empirical research. The next section includes research articles on different aspects of gender, leadership and manage����ment from more individual projects conducted by participating researchers and research groups linked to NASTA across the three universities. The final section includes short presentations of other research in progress. The appendix lists publications by NASTA members – journal articles, research reports, books, chapters, journal special issues, popular journal articles, magazine articles - and masters, licentiate and doctoral theses that have been produced. These matters of women, leadership and management are not simply academic concerns but urgent matters for practice, organisations, management, policy, and society more generally.

Evaluaci��n final del Proyecto capacitaci��n popular sobre el manejo del agroecosistema del tr��pico h��medo (PTH), Pancasan-Matagalpa, 1993-1996

El presente trabajo se realiz�� con el objetivo de Evaluar los resultados alcanzados por el Proyecto del Tr��pico H��medo e:n la Zona de Pancasan del Departamento de Matagalpa quien fuera ejecutado por la Asociaci��n Agr��cola para el Desarrollo Agr��cola Comunal (ADDAC) durante la segunda fase de ejecuci��n del Proyecto, comprendida desde Septiembre de 1993 a Febrero de 1996, flnanciado por la Agencia Noruega para el Desarrollo (NORAD). La metodolog��a empleada en el presente Estudio se bas�� en el tipo de Evaluaci��n Ex�� post de la Direcci��n de Proyectos y Programaci��n de Inversiones de las Naciones Unidas CEPAL y se resume en cuatro etapas: - Primera etapa Revisi��n de Informaci��n Escrita. - Segunda etapa Levantado de Datos de Campo. - Tercera etapa Procesamiento y An��lisis de la Informaci��n de Campo. - Cuata y ��ltima etapa Elaboraci��n y Presentacion del Informe Final. Los resultados alcanzados por el proyecto seg��n el estudio, muestra que los ingresos percibidos por los productores participantes del Proyecto o Poblacion Meta (PM) se consideran que han aumentado en un 40% m��s con la incidencia del Proyecto Tr��pico H��medo (PTH) con relaci��n a los ingresos de los productores no participantes del Proyecto o Poblaci��n No Meta (PNM). Este comportamiento refleja que los participantes del PTH han logrado mejor��as sustanciales en la disponibilidad del recurso econ��mico as�� como la creaci��n de condiciones b��sicas para mejorar sus condiciones de vida. Adem��s los procesos econ��micos dan lugar a una diferenciaci��n econ��mica entre los pobladores de la zona, pero por otro lado, establece un grado de inter��s y motivaci��n para Integrarse de una manera activa como participantes del proyecto. En lo que se refiere a capacitaci��n, se estima un 139% de sobrecumplimiento, seg��n la planificaci��n de eventos de capacitaci��n, sobre todo en los a��os 1993 y 1994. Es importante destacar que este sobrecumplimiento de las capacitaciones tienen un producto y se refleja con la aplicaci��n de las actividades del tipo agroforestal por parte de los participantes del proyecto y con la concepci��n creada en ��stos sobre la preservaci��n de los recursos naturales- Otro elemento Importante que pone de manifiesto el producto de las capacitaciones es el haber desarrollado capacidades en un buen grupo de productores estimados en 60 como futuros promotores de acciones de desarrollo. Por otro lado, han sido diversos los factores que determinaron una disminuci��n en los rendimientos de los principales cultivos (ma��z y frijol) entre ellos las variaciones clim��ticas y el mal manejo, sobre todo en la ��poca de Apante de los productores de la PM con relaci��n a los productores de la PNM. En el rubro Ma��z los rendimientos del a��o 1995 disminuyeron en un 31% con relaci��n a los del a��o de 1993, contrario a los rendimientos de la PNM que se incrementaron en un 2.1%. En el rubro frijol durante el mismo per��odo, en las dos poblaciones en estudio, se redujo en un 35 y 34 % para la PM y la PNM respectivamente. Sin embargo, la tendencia de este comportamiento es revertirse, ya que los productores de la PNM realizan aplicaciones de agroqu��micos para poder obtener estos resultados y los de la PM utilizan pr��cticas de Conservaci��n de Suelo que a un corto plazo se reflejar��n en un incremento de los rendimientos. El rubro pecuario mostr�� un comportamiento relativamente bajo con relaci��n a los ��ndices zoot��cnicos previstos, encontr��ndose mejores resultados en la PNM. Esto se atribuye fundamentalmente a la poca incidencia de las acciones que ha tenido el proyecto hacia este rubro justificado por el alto costo de Inversi��n que requiere tanto en material biol��gico como en Infraestructura. En las especies menores (cerdos y aves) no existen indicadores en los registros productivos ni en los resultados esperados por el proyecto. Esto puede valorarse como negativo y como debilidad manifiesta en el proceso de definici��n para la ampliaci��n de las acciones del proyecto, de manera que no permite cuantificar ni cualificar el comportamiento de ��stas ni el Impacto que pueden generar en los sistemas productivos de las unidades de producci��n. De tal manera que referirnos promedios de 2.66 cerdos por productor (de 13 productores), a diferencia de la PNM que 9 productores reportan un promedio de 1.33 unidades, a esto se agrega que ambas poblaciones reportan el suministro del mismo tipo de alimento (ma��z, yuca, guineo, suero y sal). En aves se reportan productores de la PM con mayor n��mero con relaci��n a los de la PNM, con un promedio de 17 y 13 respectivamente. La alimentaci��n suministrada por parte de la PM, se basa fundamentalmente en ma��z y concentrados caseros (t��cnica promovida por el proyecto), este manejo aplicado a las aves por la PM tiene como resultado un aumento en la disponibilidad de alimento para la dieta familiar haciendo uso de los recursos locales de la unidad de producci��n, sucediendo lo contrario en los productores de la PNM, que para alimentar a las aves por lo general se destina el grano de ma��z, compitiendo de esta manera, aves y familia por el alimento. Referente a la diversificaci��n de la producci��n en la PM1 existe un fuerte predominio (del 32%) de 6 rubros establecidos en la finca y hay una tendencia (de un 21%) a incrementarse hasta 8 rubros como lo manifiestan las metas propuestas por el proyecto inicial. Un elemento importante que explica estos comportamientos la participaci��n activa del personal t��cnico con los participantes del proyecto, ya que se establecen en un proceso de acci��n-reflexi��n-acci��n. Sucede lo contrario con los productores del grupo de la PNM que siendo 5 los rubros que mayor predominan en las fincas y con poca tendenda (16%) a incrementarse hasta 7 rubros por finca. En lo que adopci��n de tecnolog��a se refiere, se manifiesta un n��mero de productores (PM) que han adoptado de 3-4 pr��cticas por a��o y ha ido en aumento a lo largo de los tres a��os, desde el 11% en 1993 al 30% en 1995, y se establecen en los rubros de Ma��z, Frijol y caf��. Mucho ha influido y de manera positiva en este proceso de adopci��n los niveles de comunicaci��n desarrollados por los t��cnicos con los participantes del proyecto, sin embargo han sido diversos los factores que han influido de manera negativa en el proceso los cuales se reflejaron como: los resultados de las t��cnicas no son a corto plazo; hay mucha inversi��n de mano de obra; se hace uso de Insumas externos; hay una resistencia al uso de las tecnolog��as. La participaci��n de la mujer de la PM en las actividades del proyecto es muy marcado, 124 jornales/a��o contra 62 jornales de la PNM, fundamentalmente en las actividades de car��cter agropecuario, lo cual refleja una clara influencia del PTH en las mujeres de la comarca. A esto se le agrega el involucramiento en un 81% de las mujeres en al menos, un evento de capacitaci��n del PTH a lo largo de tres a��os. Una evidencia de la diferencia en el comportamiento de las mujeres participantes en el Proyecto o PM es que al aplicar el Instrumento individual se evidencio una mayor fluidez, menor temor de expresi��n y un ambiente de mayor confianza, mientras que en la mayor��a de las no participantes o PNM, se mostr�� mayor temor a expresar sus ideas y con muy poca alocuci��n a las preguntas formuladas. La experiencia organizativa en la zona de Influencia del proyecto hist��ricamente ha sido muy negativa, por la gran influencia pol��tica en dichas organizaciones. El proyecto influy�� de una manera muy positiva en el aspecto de la organizacion campesina/ debido a la din��mica neutral de trabajo y en fund��n de un bien colectivo, como es la preservaci��n de los recursos naturales. Esto hace posible que en din��micas de capacitaci��n, surjan expresiones de participantes del proyecto sobre el beneficio de la organizaci��n, tales como "El pecado no est�� en la organizaci��n en s��, si no en la forma en c��mo es concebida y coordinada"; es importante destacar que estas concepciones de los participantes, dan pautas para la valoraci��n de que se han establecido las bases para desarrollar de una manera m��s efectiva las acciones impulsadas con un car��cter sostenible. Considerando que los resultados obtenidos en el estudio muestran mejoras considerables y sustanciales en los aspectos socioecon��micos de las familias campesinas participantes del proyecto, es importante implementar una tercera fase de ejecuci��n, de manera que se logre fortalecer y ampliar los componentes del proyecto, tomando en cuenta en la planificaci��n una dotaci��n de recursos humanos y econ��micos para garantizar la influencia a otras zonas aleda��as a Pancasan.