This study proposed a modification of the traditional cost-of-illness approach. It considered additional indirect cost parameters that yield a comprehensive cost structure for human capital at a micro level. Although HIV/AIDS is an epidemiological problem, it has enormous direct and indirect economic costs. Arguably, the most important cost associated with HIV/AIDS results from the high rates of morbidity and mortality among working age adults, the vast majority of those infected. These are essentially losses in an economy's existing stock and potential accumulation of human capital, implying lower levels of labor productivity and eventually loss of labor. These impacts are accounted for in existing macroeconomic and microeconomic impact studies. Indirect costs, such as forgone earnings due to illness, are included whereas forgone earnings of caregivers in the household are unaccounted for.

The year 2000 (Y2K) problem presented a fortuitous opportunity to explore the relationship between estimated costs of software projects and five cost influence dimensions described by the Year 2000 Enterprise Cost Model (Kappelman, et al., 1998) -- organization, problem, solution, resources, and stage of completion. This research was a field study survey of (Y2K) project managers in industry, government, and education and part of a joint project that began in 1996 between the University of North Texas and the Y2K Working Group of the Society for Information Management (SIM). Evidence was found to support relationships between estimated costs and organization, problem, resources, and project stage but not for the solution dimension. Project stage appears to moderate the relationships for organization, particularly IS practices, and resources. A history of superior IS practices appears to mean lower estimated costs, especially for projects in larger IS organizations. Acquiring resources, especially external skills, appears to increase costs. Moreover, projects apparently have many individual differences, many related to size and to project stage, and their influences on costs appear to be at the sub-dimension or even the individual variable level. A Revised Year 2000 Enterprise Model is presented incorporating this granularity. Two primary conclusions can be drawn from this research: (1) large software projects are very complex and thus cost estimating is also; and (2) the devil of cost estimating is in the details of knowing which of the many possible variables are the important ones for each particular enterprise and project. This points to the importance of organizations keeping software project metrics and the historical calibration of cost-estimating practices. Project managers must understand the relevant details and their interaction and importance in order to successfully develop a cost estimate for a particular project, even when rational cost models are used. This research also indicates that software cost estimating has political as well as rational influences at play.

This thesis looks at the role of wild pollinators in providing services to crops. Two data chapters (2 and 3) are accompanied by a modelling chapter (4) which build on the findings of the field studies. The thesis ends with an overview of the trends in pollinator populations and how these relate to the needs of farmers in the UK (chap-ter 5). It is often assumed that commercial pollinators are appropriate substitutes of wild pollinators on farms; however this view neglects the differing roles that particular pollinator taxa might play in providing pollination services. For example, crops with a long growing system may require multiple pollinators to ensure pollination throughout the season. Strawberries in Scotland have an extremely long growing season, flowering from April to August. Chapter 2 presents a study showing season-al complementarity between different pollinating taxa across strawberry farms in Scotland. Pollinators of strawberries also differed in their responses to weather pa-rameters indicating that preserving multiple pollinator taxa could ensure yields un-der different weather scenarios. The requirements of a long-growing season and ad-verse weather may be specific to strawberry production in Scotland, but the valua-tion of multiple taxa can be generalised to systems with differing needs, and also to different ecosystem services. Wild bees are not only valuable for providing complementary services to commercial pollinators, but are also valuable in the longer term as it is unknown whether com-mercial pollinators will be available in the future. There are threats to the supply of honeybees which have already triggered price rises; such supply shocks could force farmers to leave production or to seek other ways of providing pollination, including supporting wild pollinators. However farm management pressures, in particular pes-ticide use, could threaten the ability of wild pollinators to continue to support crop production. The interplay of pesticides and pollination is discussed in chapter 3 and 4. Chapter 3 presents an experiment undertaken on soft-fruit farms which had and had not used the neonicotinoid, thiacloprid, and shows that nests exposed to thia-cloprid had higher worker mortality, and lower male production than those at con-trol farms. This has implications both for pollination services now, as worker mor-tality will reduce the number of bees visiting farms, and also for the maintenance of future pollination services through decreased reproductive capacity of exposed nests. Chapter 4 uses a theoretical model to link pesticide use and habitat use to pollina-tion services, and shows that the use of commercial pollinators could mask the de-cline in wild populations, making local extinctions more likely. Chapter 5 sets out the status and extent of pollinators in the UK, along with popu-lation trends, trends in habitat and trends in pesticide use to provide an overview of how well pollination services are likely to meet the ongoing needs of crop farmers.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 209-213) / x, 213 leaves : ill. ; 26 cm. / "January, 1973" / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Economics, 1973

Not available / text

Irrigation is central to the functioning of the southern Alberta economy. Irrigation also uses a significant amount of what is expected to be an increasingly scarce resource: water. The Alberta government is embarking on a long-term water management strategy in which irrigation water management will be pivotal. The government is considering a range of economic instruments to assist in this management. One instrument already implemented is the ability of private irrigators and irrigators within irrigation districts to trade irrigation water rights on a temporary and permanent basis. This has established the foundation for water markets. The research presented in this thesis centers on establishing the characteristics of irrigation water markets in southern Alberta. The research also aims to determine whether the markets are behaving according to basic economic principles and whether they are supporting government's goals of increased water productivity, efficiency and conservation. The findings reveal that characteristics of irrigation water markets in southern Alberta. The research also aims to determine whether the markets are behaving according to basic economic principles and whether they are supporting government's goals of increased water productivity, efficiency and conservation. The findings reveal that characteristics of water markets in southern Alberta are very similar to markets elsewhere and the markets are behaving in a manner one would expect. However, markets are also creating activity that at one and the same time support and contradict government's water management goals. In addition, the small degree of market activity in general suggests that if government is relying on markets to contribute to these goals to any significant extent, it will need to create conditions that promote greater water market activity. / x, 184 leaves : ill., maps ; 29 cm.

No description available.

The Canadian greenhouse gas offset system was proposed and developed with the objective of assisting Canada in achieving its Kyoto target by means of low cost emission reduction. This study estimates the potential of agricultural soils in Canada to provide carbon credits. Carbon sequestration practices such as moderate till, no-till and perennial crop activities were considered in the analysis. Crops under different tillage regimes, hay and alfalfa were also included in the study. Simulation analysis was undertaken using the Canadian Regional Agricultural Model (CRAM) for carbon prices ranging from $5 to $100/t of CO2e. Carbon credits generated as a result of the sequestration activities were estimated by endogenizing a carbon price for the sequestration activity into the CRAM model. The analysis was done regionally, provincially, and nationally. Two scenarios were investigated; one that included tillage practices and perennial crops (Policy All) and the other that only included tillage practices (Policy Till). Cropping pattern changes, carbon sequestration levels, carbon revenues, and adoption rates were estimated in the simulation. In addition, the role of transaction costs in the offset system was also examined. / The results of the simulation indicated that crop shifts towards hay and alfalfa occurred in the Policy All scenario, while practice shifts towards moderate and no-till occurred in the Policy Till scenario. Simulation analysis indicated that carbon sequestration levels vary by province and region. Among the provinces, the Prairie provinces had the highest carbon sequestration levels ranging from 50 percent under the Policy Till scenario, while under the Policy All scenario it was close to 97 percent. Nationally at a medium price of $15/t of CO2 approximately 1.08 Mt of CO2 and 0.11 Mt of CO2 were sequestered under Policy All and Policy Till scenario. When transaction costs were included in the analysis, approximately 30 to 40 percent less sequestration from the baseline was estimated. The results varied by province and region.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1984. / Bibliography: leaves 160-170. / Microfiche. / xiii, 170 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

This study proposed a modification of the traditional cost-of-illness approach. It considered additional indirect cost parameters that yield a comprehensive cost structure for human capital at a micro level. Although HIV/AIDS is an epidemiological problem, it has enormous direct and indirect economic costs. Arguably, the most important cost associated with HIV/AIDS results from the high rates of morbidity and mortality among working age adults, the vast majority of those infected. These are essentially losses in an economy's existing stock and potential accumulation of human capital, implying lower levels of labor productivity and eventually loss of labor. These impacts are accounted for in existing macroeconomic and microeconomic impact studies. Indirect costs, such as forgone earnings due to illness, are included whereas forgone earnings of caregivers in the household are unaccounted for.