Thesis (M.A.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-80). Also available via the Internet.

Farmers' decisions to adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technologies depend on the profitability of IPM systems relative to the traditional production methods. Government policies may affect the profitability of the IPM technologies. A linear programming model was developed and used to evaluate the economic incentives for adoption of Integrated Pest Mangement (IPM) practices by Jamaican farmers in Ebony Park, Clarendon. Further analysis was completed to determine the affect of policy changes on the profitability of the IPM systems. The objective function of the model was to maximize net returns above variable costs for the farm and included: ten cropping systems, resource constraints, relative prices, and government policies facing the farm. Resource constraints included risk constraints limiting the maximum acreage planted for each crop. Potential crops grown by the farm included: IPM and conventional hot pepper, IPM and conventional sweet potato, IPM and conventional callaloo, corn, pumpkin, cassava, and sugar cane. The trade and domestic policies incorporated into the model were: preclearance (farm level inspections of exportable harvest), elimination of the concessionary water rates to farmers, lowering the duty concession rate to farmers, lowering the Common External Tariff, appreciation of the real exchange rate, elimination of the credit subsidy and a fall in the real interest rate. The results of the model showed four major conclusions. First, the IPM systems for hot pepper, sweet potato and callaloo were more profitable than the conventional systems. Second, within the framework of risk constraints and preclearance, the IPM systems continued to be more profitable than the conventional practices. Third, the elimination of either the water or credit subsidies currently available to the farmers did not greatly affect the profitability of the IPM systems compared with the profitability of conventional production. Fourth, with a lower real interest rate, the elimination of the duty concession, a lowering of the Common External Tariff (CET) or an appreciation of the real exchange rate, the IPM systems were more profitable than the conventional technologies. Four implications arose from the conclusions. First, extension efforts towards farmers should emphasize the increase in profits from the IPM technologies. Second, policy steps designed to liberalize the domestic economy will not require offsetting policies supporting the adoption of IPM by farmers in Clarendon. Further research is needed on the effects of water availability on IPM adoption and the potential barriers to IPM adoption by female-headed households. Finally, further research is on the economic returns of incorporating preclearance education with IPM. / Master of Science

A Cava da Mina Osamu Utsumi está localizada na Unidade de Tratamento de Minérios das Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (UTM/INB). Esta mina está localizada no Planalto de Poços de Caldas, MG próxima dos reservatórios das Antas (RA) e Bortolan (RB). O RA foi construído para o abastecimento de água para a UTM/INB e para receber os efluentes tratados dessa instalação nuclear. O presente estudo pretendeu contribuir para o conhecimento de importantes componentes da rede trófica microbiana (protozoários e bactérias) destes corpos de água, bem como dos principais fatores impactantes devido à mineração e beneficiamento de urânio sobre a rede trófica microbiana. Foram realizados os primeiros testes utilizando-se de técnica Hibridização Fluorescente \'\'In Situ\'\' - FISH visando o primeiro estudo de identificação de bactérias dos Domínios Archaea e Bacteria na CM e nos reservatórios RA e RB. De acordo com os resultados foram verificadas diferenças significativas em relação às condições físicas e químicas da coluna d\'água e das comunidades protozooplanctônicas e bacterioplanctônicas em comparação entre as amostras procedentes do ponto CM, RA e RB. Na UTM/INB foi registrada menor diversidade e maiores valores de densidade e biomassa do que nos reservatórios RA e RB. Verificou-se que o RA recebe maior influência da mineradora UTM/INB sendo impactado por compostos de origem inorgânica. O RB por estar sob influência da malha urbana da cidade de Poços de Caldas sofre maior impacto de compostos orgânicos. Foi concluído que a técnica FISH é totalmente aplicável à ambientes oligotróficos, ácidos e com elevada concentração de metais. / The Osamu Utsumi Pit Mine lake (PML) is located at Mineral Unit Treatment - Nuclear Brazilian Industries (UTM / INB). This pi mine lake is located on the Poços de Caldas Plateau, Minas Gerais State; reservoirs close: Antas (RA) and Bortolan (RB). The RA was built to supply water to the UTM/INB and to receive treated effluent from this nuclear facility. The present study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of important components of the microbial food web (protozoa and bacteria) these water bodies, as well as major impacting factors due to uranium mining and processing on the microbial food web. The first tests were performed using Fluorescent Hybridization \"In Situ\" - FISH technique targeting the first study to identify the Domains Archaea and Bacteria in pit mine lake and the RA and RB reservoirs. According to the results were significant differences in relation to physical and chemical conditions of the water column and protozooplanktonic and bacterioplanktonic communities when compared between samples coming from the point PML, RA and RB. In UTM/INB was recorded less diversity and higher values of density and biomass than in RA and RB reservoirs. It was found that RA receives a larger influence of mining UTM/INB being impacted by compounds of inorganic origin. The RB for being under the influence of the Poços de Caldas urban city suffer the greatest impact of organic compounds. It was concluded that the FISH technique is fully applicable to the oligotrophic, acids and high concentration of metal freshwater bodies.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1975. / Typescript. Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-152).

Geographic research on the Corn Belt and other regional landscapes of the central U.S. has not to date identified quantitatively the climatic, edaphic, topographic, and economic characteristics that determine rural land cover, and that therefore govern land cover change. Using the USDA/NASS Cropland Data Layer, this study identifies these characteristics using Multivariable Fractional Polynomials within a logistic regression framework. It maps the suitability distribution for corn, soybeans, spring and winter wheat, cotton, grassland, and forest land covers that dominate the central U.S., at a 56m resolution across 16 central U.S. states. The non-linear logistic regression models are successful in identifying determinants of land cover with relative operating characteristic (ROC) scores that range from 0.769 for soybeans to 0.888 for forest, with a combined corn/soybean model achieving an ROC of 0.871. For corn and soybean models, when prior land cover of a pixel is added, predictability and ROC scores increase substantially (0.07-0.10), indicating a strong temporal feedback in land cover dynamics. This process also aids in the delineation of fields from pixels. Adding neighboring land covers, however, improves predictability and ROC scores only slightly (0.014-0.019), indicating a weak spatial feedback mechanism. By including annual crop prices within the logit models, economically marginal cropland that comes into crop production only when prices are high is identified in a spatially-explicit manner. This capacity improves further analyses of economic and environmental impacts of policies that affect crop prices. The sustainability of current rural land use trends in the central U.S. is highly dependent on the ability to adapt to changing climatic conditions of the 21st century. As the climate begins to shift towards longer growing seasons, more erratic rainfall patterns, and overall warmer temperatures, there is potential for major impacts on seven major land covers of the central U.S. Suitability landscapes of individual land covers (corn, soybeans, spring and winter wheat, cotton, grasslands, and forests) were utilized to determine the influence of climate change on these landscapes. Twenty-seven climate change projection scenarios based on three global climate models, three representative concentration pathways, and three time periods were applied to the land cover suitability maps utilizing raster regression. The area now identified as the Corn Belt is projected to see a dramatic shift in the suitable climate with a potential for a 30 percent increase in summer growing degree days. While the area where conditions are suitable for corn, soybeans and spring wheat are all expected to decrease, winter wheat has the potential to increase in suitable area. In order to maintain current geographic patterns of crop production, corn would need to be adapted to higher temperatures.

A Cava da Mina Osamu Utsumi está localizada na Unidade de Tratamento de Minérios das Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (UTM/INB). Esta mina está localizada no Planalto de Poços de Caldas, MG próxima dos reservatórios das Antas (RA) e Bortolan (RB). O RA foi construído para o abastecimento de água para a UTM/INB e para receber os efluentes tratados dessa instalação nuclear. O presente estudo pretendeu contribuir para o conhecimento de importantes componentes da rede trófica microbiana (protozoários e bactérias) destes corpos de água, bem como dos principais fatores impactantes devido à mineração e beneficiamento de urânio sobre a rede trófica microbiana. Foram realizados os primeiros testes utilizando-se de técnica Hibridização Fluorescente \'\'In Situ\'\' - FISH visando o primeiro estudo de identificação de bactérias dos Domínios Archaea e Bacteria na CM e nos reservatórios RA e RB. De acordo com os resultados foram verificadas diferenças significativas em relação às condições físicas e químicas da coluna d\'água e das comunidades protozooplanctônicas e bacterioplanctônicas em comparação entre as amostras procedentes do ponto CM, RA e RB. Na UTM/INB foi registrada menor diversidade e maiores valores de densidade e biomassa do que nos reservatórios RA e RB. Verificou-se que o RA recebe maior influência da mineradora UTM/INB sendo impactado por compostos de origem inorgânica. O RB por estar sob influência da malha urbana da cidade de Poços de Caldas sofre maior impacto de compostos orgânicos. Foi concluído que a técnica FISH é totalmente aplicável à ambientes oligotróficos, ácidos e com elevada concentração de metais. / The Osamu Utsumi Pit Mine lake (PML) is located at Mineral Unit Treatment - Nuclear Brazilian Industries (UTM / INB). This pi mine lake is located on the Poços de Caldas Plateau, Minas Gerais State; reservoirs close: Antas (RA) and Bortolan (RB). The RA was built to supply water to the UTM/INB and to receive treated effluent from this nuclear facility. The present study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of important components of the microbial food web (protozoa and bacteria) these water bodies, as well as major impacting factors due to uranium mining and processing on the microbial food web. The first tests were performed using Fluorescent Hybridization \"In Situ\" - FISH technique targeting the first study to identify the Domains Archaea and Bacteria in pit mine lake and the RA and RB reservoirs. According to the results were significant differences in relation to physical and chemical conditions of the water column and protozooplanktonic and bacterioplanktonic communities when compared between samples coming from the point PML, RA and RB. In UTM/INB was recorded less diversity and higher values of density and biomass than in RA and RB reservoirs. It was found that RA receives a larger influence of mining UTM/INB being impacted by compounds of inorganic origin. The RB for being under the influence of the Poços de Caldas urban city suffer the greatest impact of organic compounds. It was concluded that the FISH technique is fully applicable to the oligotrophic, acids and high concentration of metal freshwater bodies.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Computing and Information Sciences / Gurdip Singh / Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) represent the next-generation systems characterized by strong coupling of computing, sensing, communication, and control technologies. They have the potential to transform our world with more intelligent and efficient systems, such as Smart Home, Intelligent Transportation System, Energy-Aware Building, Smart Power Grid, and Surgical Robot. A CPS is composed of a computational and a physical subsystem. The computational subsystem monitors, coordinates and controls operations of the physical subsystem to create desired physical effects, while the physical subsystem performs physical operations and gives feedback to the computational subsystem. This dissertation contributes to the research of CPSs by proposing a new transaction model for Environmental Resource Dependent Cyber-Physical Systems (ERDCPSs). The physical operations of such type of CPSs rely on environmental resources, and they are commonly seen in areas such as transportation and manufacturing. For example, an autonomous car views road segments as resources to make movements and a warehouse robot views storage spaces as resources to fetch and place goods. The operating environment of such CPSs, CPS Network, contains multiple CPS entities that share common environmental resources and interact with each other through usages of these resources. We model physical operations of an ERDCPS as a set of transactions of different types that achieve different goals, and each transaction consists of a sequence of actions. A transaction or an action may require environmental resources for its operations, and the usage of an environmental resource is precise in both time and space. Moreover, a successful execution of a transaction or an action requires exclusive access to certain resources. Transactions from different CPS entities of a CPS Network constitute a schedule. Since environmental resources are shared, transactions in the schedule may have conflicts in using these resources. A schedule must remain consistent to avoid unexpected consequences caused by resource usage conflicts between transactions. A two-phase commit algorithm is proposed to process transactions. In the pre-commit phase, a transaction is scheduled by reserving usage times of required resources, and potential conflicts are detected and resolved using different strategies, such as Win-Lose, Win-Win, and Transaction Preemption. Two general algorithms are presented to process transactions in the pre-commit phase for both centralized and distributed resource management environments. In the commit phase, a transaction is executed using reserved resources. An exception occurs when the real-time resource usage is different from what has been predicted. By doing internal and external check before a scheduled transaction is executed, exceptions can be detected and handled properly. A simulation platform (CPSNET) is developed to simulate the transaction model. The simulation platform simulates a CPS Network, where different CPS entities coordinate resource usages of their transactions through a Communication Network. Depending on the resource management environment, a Resource Server may exist in the CPS Network to manage resource usages of all CPS entities. The simulation platform is highly configurable and configuration of the simulation environment, CPS entities and two-phase commit algorithm are supported. Moreover, various statistical information and operation logs are provided to monitor and evaluate the platform itself and the transaction model. Seven groups of simulation experiments are carried out to verify the simulation platform and the transaction model. Simulation results show that the platform is capable of simulating a large load of CPS entities and transactions, and entities and components perform their functions correctly with respect to the processing of transactions. The two-phase commit algorithm is evaluated, and the results show that, compared with traditional cases where no conflict resolving is applied or a conflicting transaction is directly aborted, the proposed conflict resolving strategies improve the schedule productivity by allowing more transactions to be executed and the scheduling throughput by maintaining a higher concurrency level.

No Brasil, a Política Nacional de Recursos Hídricos apresenta a cobrança pelo uso da água como um instrumento de gestão de recursos hídricos de caráter econômico. Considerando esse caráter, a cobrança deve ter como objetivos: racionalizar o uso do recurso baseado na sua escassez; reconhecer a água como um bem de valor econômico, refletindo os custos ambientais advindos de sua utilização; e diminuir os conflitos entre os usos, induzindo uma alocação que considere o gerenciamento da demanda e as prioridades da sociedade. Além dessas metas, como instrumento de gestão de uma política que lista como primeiro objetivo \"assegurar à atual e às futuras gerações a necessária disponibilidade de água, em padrões de qualidade adequados aos respectivos usos\", a cobrança deve ser implementada de maneira que o agente usuário direcione seu comportamento no sentido da sustentabilidade ambiental. Mediante esses fundamentos, o que se pretende desenvolver neste trabalho é a aplicação de um modelo de cobrança sobre o uso da água que considera como princípio base a manutenção da qualidade ambiental medida pela adequada gestão da escassez de água e, compondo a busca dessa qualidade, a racionalização econômica e a viabilização financeira. Essa predominância do ambiente sobre aspectos econômicos vem no sentido de desqualificar argumentos segundo os quais, os impactos advindos dos usos da água serão corrigidos indefinidamente mediante investimentos financeiros em infra estrutura. Admitir que o desenvolvimento tem esse poder é supor equivocadamente que o meio econômico é limitante do meio ambiente e não o contrário. Esta constatação mostra qual é o problema da maioria das propostas de cobrança que valoram a água baseadas em custos de tratamento de resíduos e de obras hidráulicas. Por mais elaborados que sejam essas fórmulas de cobrança, chegando a ponto de se conseguir que fique mais caro, mediante um padrão ambiental corretamente definido, captar água ou lançar poluentes do que racionalizar usos, o preço da água não pode estar baseado em fatores cuja \"sustentabilidade\" pode acabar no curto prazo, dependendo do ritmo de crescimento econômico. A sustentabilidade dos recursos hídricos só será base da cobrança pelo uso da água se o valor cobrado for dificultando esse uso à medida que os recursos tornarem se escassos, e não quando os custos de medidas mitigadoras dessa escassez se tornarem muito elevados. Portanto, o modelo de cobrança proposto neste trabalho procura garantir que o agente econômico que está exaurindo o meio ambiente não possa ter capacidade de pagar por essa degradação, ajudando efetivamente a política de outorga do direito de uso da água na observância da capacidade de suporte do meio. / In Brazil, the Water Resources National Policy incorporates the water pricing as an economic tool for water resources management. Considering this definition, the water pricing must accomplish the following objectives: to promote the efficient use of the resource considering its shortage; to recognize the water as a good (commodity) with economic value, internalizing the environmental costs of externalities originated from the use of water resources; to reduce the conflicts of water use through an allocation system which balance the society priorities with the water demand management. The water pricing is included as a management tool in a policy whose primary objective is to \"ensure water availability for current and future generations with suitable quality standards according to its respective uses\". So besides the goals mentioned above, the water pricing must be implemented in a way to induce the user to behave towards the environmental sustainability. Based on these fundamentals, this research presents the conceptualization and application of a pricing model for water use that considers the principle of environmental efficiency evaluated by the adequate management of the water shortage. Following the environmental efficiency, the model also pursues the economic and financial efficiency of the water resource system. This predominance of the environment over the economy weakens arguments that the water use impacts would be compensated indefinitely by financial investments in infrastructure. To admit that economic development has this power is similar to mistakenly assume that the economic dimension is the limit for the environment, and not the opposite. This argument clarifies the problem of the majority of the water pricing methodologies, which define the value of water based on wastewater treatment costs and on hydraulic construction costs. Even if these pricing methods are very well defined in a way that they define prices for water diversion or wastewater discharges higher than prices for rational use, the price of water cannot be based on indicators whose sustainability may end in the short time, in accordance with the economic growth. The sustainability of the water resources as fundamental for the water pricing will be accomplished when the price charged for the water reflects the shortage of the resources, and not the cost for mitigation measures. So, the water-pricing model proposed in this research tries to guarantee that the economic agent who is degrading the environment will not be able to pay for the costs of this degradation.

No Brasil, a Política Nacional de Recursos Hídricos apresenta a cobrança pelo uso da água como um instrumento de gestão de recursos hídricos de caráter econômico. Considerando esse caráter, a cobrança deve ter como objetivos: racionalizar o uso do recurso baseado na sua escassez; reconhecer a água como um bem de valor econômico, refletindo os custos ambientais advindos de sua utilização; e diminuir os conflitos entre os usos, induzindo uma alocação que considere o gerenciamento da demanda e as prioridades da sociedade. Além dessas metas, como instrumento de gestão de uma política que lista como primeiro objetivo \"assegurar à atual e às futuras gerações a necessária disponibilidade de água, em padrões de qualidade adequados aos respectivos usos\", a cobrança deve ser implementada de maneira que o agente usuário direcione seu comportamento no sentido da sustentabilidade ambiental. Mediante esses fundamentos, o que se pretende desenvolver neste trabalho é a aplicação de um modelo de cobrança sobre o uso da água que considera como princípio base a manutenção da qualidade ambiental medida pela adequada gestão da escassez de água e, compondo a busca dessa qualidade, a racionalização econômica e a viabilização financeira. Essa predominância do ambiente sobre aspectos econômicos vem no sentido de desqualificar argumentos segundo os quais, os impactos advindos dos usos da água serão corrigidos indefinidamente mediante investimentos financeiros em infra estrutura. Admitir que o desenvolvimento tem esse poder é supor equivocadamente que o meio econômico é limitante do meio ambiente e não o contrário. Esta constatação mostra qual é o problema da maioria das propostas de cobrança que valoram a água baseadas em custos de tratamento de resíduos e de obras hidráulicas. Por mais elaborados que sejam essas fórmulas de cobrança, chegando a ponto de se conseguir que fique mais caro, mediante um padrão ambiental corretamente definido, captar água ou lançar poluentes do que racionalizar usos, o preço da água não pode estar baseado em fatores cuja \"sustentabilidade\" pode acabar no curto prazo, dependendo do ritmo de crescimento econômico. A sustentabilidade dos recursos hídricos só será base da cobrança pelo uso da água se o valor cobrado for dificultando esse uso à medida que os recursos tornarem se escassos, e não quando os custos de medidas mitigadoras dessa escassez se tornarem muito elevados. Portanto, o modelo de cobrança proposto neste trabalho procura garantir que o agente econômico que está exaurindo o meio ambiente não possa ter capacidade de pagar por essa degradação, ajudando efetivamente a política de outorga do direito de uso da água na observância da capacidade de suporte do meio. / In Brazil, the Water Resources National Policy incorporates the water pricing as an economic tool for water resources management. Considering this definition, the water pricing must accomplish the following objectives: to promote the efficient use of the resource considering its shortage; to recognize the water as a good (commodity) with economic value, internalizing the environmental costs of externalities originated from the use of water resources; to reduce the conflicts of water use through an allocation system which balance the society priorities with the water demand management. The water pricing is included as a management tool in a policy whose primary objective is to \"ensure water availability for current and future generations with suitable quality standards according to its respective uses\". So besides the goals mentioned above, the water pricing must be implemented in a way to induce the user to behave towards the environmental sustainability. Based on these fundamentals, this research presents the conceptualization and application of a pricing model for water use that considers the principle of environmental efficiency evaluated by the adequate management of the water shortage. Following the environmental efficiency, the model also pursues the economic and financial efficiency of the water resource system. This predominance of the environment over the economy weakens arguments that the water use impacts would be compensated indefinitely by financial investments in infrastructure. To admit that economic development has this power is similar to mistakenly assume that the economic dimension is the limit for the environment, and not the opposite. This argument clarifies the problem of the majority of the water pricing methodologies, which define the value of water based on wastewater treatment costs and on hydraulic construction costs. Even if these pricing methods are very well defined in a way that they define prices for water diversion or wastewater discharges higher than prices for rational use, the price of water cannot be based on indicators whose sustainability may end in the short time, in accordance with the economic growth. The sustainability of the water resources as fundamental for the water pricing will be accomplished when the price charged for the water reflects the shortage of the resources, and not the cost for mitigation measures. So, the water-pricing model proposed in this research tries to guarantee that the economic agent who is degrading the environment will not be able to pay for the costs of this degradation.

Within the international relations literature, there is a large body of work dedicated to cooperation and conflict. More specifically, there are numerous theories of regime formation that attempt to explain how and why cooperation among several nation-states is possible. This paper addresses three of the dominant perspectives: conventional structural realism, modified structural realism, and the Grotian perspective (also often referred to as the Global Commons perspective). The goal of this paper is to analyze the rise of regimes to manage international environmental issues in light of these theories. Specifically, I analyze the case of the United States/Canadian water management regime for the Great Lakes first established by the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty. I apply both a conventional structural realist framework and a modified structural realist framework (depicted in game theoretic terms) to the case study. Because neither of these frameworks is able to adequately explain the rise of the United States/Canadian regime, I employ a framework based on the Grotian perspective. Concentrating on Oran Young's hypotheses of institutional bargaining, I analyze the case study and point out similarities and discrepancies between the theory and the actual event. Finally, I discuss the role of epistemic communities in regime formation and maintenance. Based on the results of the application of each analytical framework, I conclude that the Grotian perspective (expressed in terms of the institutional bargaining approach) is best able to identify the causes of the formation of the water management regime between the United States and Canada. Because this is one of the most successful examples of an international environmental regime in terms of longevity, compliance, and progress, the factors involved in its creation should make a contribution to our understanding of the problems and possibilities associated with the construction of international environmental management regimes. I draw heavily from the work of notable regime theorists, such as Susan Strange, Stephen Krasner, Robert Keohane, and Ernst Haas, as well as theorists who have specifically addressed international environmental issues, such as Oran Young, Peter Haas, and Jessica Tuchman Mathews / Master of Arts