Overfishing may seriously impact fish populations and ecosystems. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are key tools for biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, yet the fisheries benefits remain ...debateable. Many MPAs include a fully protected area (FPA), restricting all activities, within a partially protected area (PPA) where potentially sustainable activities are permitted. An effective tool for biodiversity conservation, FPAs, can sustain local fisheries via spillover, that is the outward export of individuals from FPAs. Spillover refers to both: “ecological spillover”: outward net emigration of juveniles, subadults and/or adults from the FPA; and “fishery spillover”: the fraction of ecological spillover that directly benefits fishery yields and revenues through fishable biomass. Yet, how common is spillover remains controversial. We present a meta‐analysis of a unique global database covering 23 FPAs worldwide, using published literature and purposely collected field data, to assess the capacity of FPAs to export biomass and whether this response was mediated by specific FPA features (e.g. size, age) or species characteristics (e.g. mobility, economic value). Results show fish biomass and abundance outside FPAs was higher: (a) in locations close to FPA borders (<200 m) than further away (>200 m); (b) for species with a high commercial value; and (c) in the presence of PPA surrounding the FPA. Spillover was slightly higher in FPAs that were larger and older and for more mobile species. Based on the broadest data set compiled to date on marine species ecological spillover beyond FPAs' borders, our work highlights elements that could guide strategies to enhance local fishery management using MPAs.
The k-winners-take-all (kWTA) problem is to find the k largest inputs from N inputs. In this paper, we design and propose a novel distributed kWTA model, for which no central unit is needed to ...realize the computation of the k winners. As a result, the proposed model has the general advantages of distributed models over centralized ones, such as better robustness to faults of agents. The global asymptotic convergence of the proposed distributed model is proven. Besides, two numerical examples on networks of agents with static inputs and time-varying inputs are presented to validate the performance of the proposed model.
Take-out food has become increasingly prevalent due to the fast pace of people's life. However, few study has been done on microplastics in take-out food. Contacting with disposable plastic ...containers, take-out food may be contaminated with microplastics. In the present study, abundance and characteristics of microplastics in total of 146 take-out food samples including solid food samples and beverage samples (bubble tea and coffee) were determined and identified. The mean abundance of microplastics in take-out food was 639 items kg−1, with the highest value in rice and the lowest value in coffee. Fragments shape, transparent color and sizes ≤ 500 μm were the main characteristics of microplastics in those food, and polyethylene was the main polymer type. Our results indicated that microplastics in take-out food was influenced by food categories and cooking methods, as well as food packaging materials. Approximately 170–638 items of microplastics may be consumed by people who order take-out food 1–2 times weekly.
•Microplastics (MPs) were found in various popular take-out food.•Polyethylene was the main polymer type of MPs in take-out food.•Cooking method, food containers and other factors will affect MPs in food.•∼170–638 items of MPs may be eaten if one orders those food 1–2 times weekly.
Entry into platform-based markets Zhu, Feng; Iansiti, Marco
Strategic management journal,
01/2012, Volume:
33, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
This paper examines the relative importance of platform quality, indirect network effects, and consumer expectations on the success of entrants in platform-based markets. We develop a theoretical ...model and find that an entrant's success depends on the strength of indirect network effects and on the consumers' discount factor for future applications. We then illustrate the model's applicability by examining Xbox's entry into the video game industry. We find that Xbox had a small quality advantage over the incumbent, PlayStation 2, and the strength of indirect network effects and the consumers' discount factor, while statistically significant, fall in the region where PlayStation 2' s position is unsustainable.
Abstract
Non-take-up of social benefits is widely viewed as a critical problem in the modern welfare state, undermining the social contract between it and its citizens. Social work has always been ...considered a key profession in promoting take-up of social benefits as part of its professional commitment to human rights and advocacy. Yet, despite recent research efforts aiming to conceptualise take-up advocacy, there is a clear need to address the experience of claimants who have successfully taken up their rights and to learn from their experiences to identity best practices. This study drew on thirty-two semi-structured interviews with claimants successful in taking up social benefits in order to learn how they had overcome take-up barriers. The findings highlight four key lessons for increasing the likelihood of take-up in practice: (1) take the first step; (2) become an expert; (3) use your strengths; and (4) seek support. Together, these lessons present a multifaceted view of strategies used successfully to facilitate take-up, emphasising the importance of the claimants’ personal capabilities, strengths and experiential knowledge as important gateways to take-up. These findings are also discussed in light of the existing knowledge on take-up advocacy by social workers.
• Access to social benefits is critical in reducing inequalities, but the most vulnerable, however, are not always able to enjoy these benefits.
• Social work has always been concerned with this predicament, but have yet to unpack agency in this process.
• The researchers conducted thirty-two interviews, focusing on two questions: How did participants cope with barriers to take-up? What enabled them to complete the take-up process?
• The findings of the study suggest four ways to promote rights claiming in practice: (1) take the first step; (2) become an expert; (3) use your strengths; and (4) seek support.
Ocean waves contain one of the world's largest untapped and predictable renewable energy sources that can be used to fulfil the energy demand in the present energy crises situation. There are many ...devices that have been proposed and prototyped in different countries all around the world to harness wave energy based on different power take-off (PTO) systems. The aim of this article is to review the power take-off (PTO) systems of the wave energy converters (WEC). The review starts with a brief introduction and background of wave energy. Following this, a novel classification of WEC systems is introduced. Then, the WECs based on the different working methods of their power take off systems are briefly reviewed. This includes an analysis and comparison of advantages and challenges of the power take off systems. Aspects of current international research and development activities and networks for wave energy is also discussed. The current market of wave energy technologies is also assessed, showing that the mechanical direct drive system is the most popular. Hybrid PTO systems are seen as an important development for the future.
Aims
To assess the effectiveness for Scotland's National Naloxone Programme (NNP) by comparison between 2006–10 (before) and 2011–13 (after NNP started in January 2011) and to assess ...cost‐effectiveness.
Design
This was a pre–post evaluation of a national policy. Cost‐effectiveness was assessed by prescription costs against life‐years gained per opioid‐related death (ORD) averted.
Setting
Scotland, in community settings and all prisons.
Intervention
Brief training and standardized naloxone supply became available to individuals at risk of opioid overdose.
Measurements
ORDs as identified by National Records of Scotland. Look‐back determined the proportion of ORDs who, in the 4 weeks before ORD, had been (i) released from prison (primary outcome) and (ii) released from prison or discharged from hospital (secondary). We report 95% confidence intervals for effectiveness in reducing the primary (and secondary) outcome in 2011–13 versus 2006–10. Prescription costs were assessed against 1 or 10 life‐years gained per averted ORD.
Findings
In 2006–10, 9.8% of ORDs (193 of 1970) were in people released from prison within 4 weeks of death, whereas only 6.3% of ORDs in 2011–13 followed prison release (76 of 1212, P < 0.001; this represented a difference of 3.5% 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.6–5.4%). This reduction in the proportion of prison release ORDs translates into 42 fewer prison release ORDs (95% CI = 19–65) during 2011–13, when 12 000 naloxone kits were issued at current prescription cost of £225 000. Scotland's secondary outcome reduced from 19.0 to 14.9%, a difference of 4.1% (95% CI = 1.4–6.7%).
Conclusions
Scotland's National Naloxone Programme, which started in 2011, was associated with a 36% reduction in the proportion of opioid‐related deaths that occurred in the 4 weeks following release from prison.
As the number of scrap cars increases rapidly, the management of their reverse logistics (RL) process has become an urgent issue for decision-makers in contemporary China. The process, capable of ...generating profits as well as minimizing negative environmental effects, mainly includes products acquisition, collection, inspection and disposition. Although the selection of take-back patterns is an essential part in the process, it is not well addressed by existing studies. Involving numerous related factors, the evaluation and selection of the take-back patterns of scrap cars are a comprehensive problem that can be formulated as a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. In this paper, we propose a complete method to solve it systematically. Three patterns quite suitable for China are presented and a novel criteria system is developed for choosing the best one. The unavoidable uncertainty in practical situation is also considered in this work. We integrate the grey method and Decision-making and Trial Evaluation Laboratory (grey DEMATEL) to determine the weights of nine criteria, and a fuzzy method and Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (fuzzy VIKOR) are adopted to rank the three patterns based on expert evaluations. Sensitivity analysis is also used to test and verify the robustness of the proposed method. Finally, we draw a conclusion that the Producer Responsibility Organization Take-back pattern whose main body is formed by manufacturer union organization is most suitable for China. The study results could provide a theoretical guideline for decision-makers in China as well as other developing countries.
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•Microplastics were found in different types of take-out containers.•The highest microplastic level occurred in the containers made of polystyrene.•Microplastic fell from inner ...surface of take-out container after slightly flushing.•Microplastics come from the take-out containers themselves and the air.•Microplastic intake through container may be up to 203 items/person/week.
Microplastics have been detected in various media including water, sediment, and seafood, whereas there are few studies focusing on microplastics in take-out containers. In this study, we collected take-out containers made of common polymer materials (polypropylene, PP; polystyrene, PS; polyethylene, PE; polyethylene terephthalate, PET) from five cities in China. Microplastics in the containers were analyzed after different treatments (direct flushing and flushing after immersing with hot water). Our results showed that microplastics were found in all take-out containers and abundance ranged from 3 to 29 items/container. The highest abundance occurred in PS containers with rough surface. The polymer types of some detected particles were the same as those of original containers, accounting for 30% of the total microplastics; other types included polyester, rayon, acrylic, and nylon. Treating the containers with hot water did not influence microplastic abundance. Our study indicates that microplastics in take-out containers come from atmospheric fallout and flakes from container’s inner surfaces. Under slight mechanical force, loose structure and rough surface of PS containers can flake off microplastics, entering water more easily. Based on the microplastic abundance in take-out containers, people who order take-out food 4–7 times weekly may ingest 12–203 pieces of microplastics through containers.
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