Protesting or Justifying? A Latent Class Model for Contingent Valuation with Attitudinal Data

This article develops a latent class model for estimating willingness-to-pay for public goods using simultaneously contingent valuation (CV) and attitudinal data capturing protest attitudes related to the lack of trust in public institutions providing those goods. A measure of the social cost associated with protest responses and the consequent loss in potential contributions for providing the public good is proposed. The presence of potential justification biases is further considered, that is, the possibility that for psychological reasons the response to the CV question affects the answers to the attitudinal questions. The results from our empirical application suggest that psychological factors should not be ignored in CV estimation for policy purposes, allowing for a correct identification of protest responses. JEL codes: C35, C85, Q51

Combining Averting Behavior and Contingent Valuation Data: An Application to Drinking Water Treatment

This paper is an empirical application that combines averting behavior with contingent valuation data. Consistency tests are performed incorporating alternative heteroscedastic structures in the bivariate probit models by taking advantage of the different information content that characterizes each data source. We look at three covariates not yet examined in the literature when combining stated and revealed preferred data to explain the variance in the models: income, the bid in the contingent valuation questionnaire, and the distance between the bid and the averting expenditures with drinking water. The models estimated include between and within data sources heteroscedasticity. The results obtained allow the combination of the two data sources under a common preference structure.averting behavior, combination of data sets, consistency tests, contingent valuation, revealed preferred data

Combining CV and RP data: a note on the relationship between consistency and rationality

In this paper, we show that, when combining revealed (RP) and stated (SP) data, for marginal changes in quality of environmental goods, rationality implies consistency, as the consistency conditions coincide with a subset of the conditions for rationality.combined (RP and SP) individual data; rationality; data consistency

XRCC2 R188H (rs3218536), XRCC3 T241M (rs861539) and R243H (rs77381814) single nucleotide polymorphisms in cervical cancer risk

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer and its precursor lesions. Transformation may be induced by several mechanisms, including oncogene activation and genome instability. Individual differences in DNA damage recognition and repair have been hypothesized to influence cervical cancer risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the double strand break gene polymorphisms XRCC2 R188H G>A (rs3218536), XRCC3 T241M C>T (rs861539) and R243H G>A (rs77381814) are associated to cervical cancer in Argentine women. A case control study consisting of 322 samples (205 cases and 117 controls) was carried out. HPV DNA detection was performed by PCR and genotyping of positive samples by EIA (enzyme immunoassay). XRCC2 and 3 polymorphisms were determined by pyrosequencing. The HPV-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of XRCC2 188 GG/AG genotypes was OR = 2.4 (CI = 1.1-4.9, p = 0.02) for cervical cancer. In contrast, there was no increased risk for cervical cancer with XRCC3 241 TT/CC genotypes (OR = 0.48; CI = 0.2-1; p = 0.1) or XRCC3 241 CT/CC (OR = 0.87; CI = 0.52-1.4; p = 0.6). Regarding XRCC3 R243H, the G allele was almost fixed in the population studied. In conclusion, although the sample size was modest, the present data indicate a statistical association between cervical cancer and XRCC2 R188H polymorphism. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings.Fil: Perez, Luis Orlando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Crivaro, Andrea Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Barbisan, Gisela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Poleri, Lucía Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; ArgentinaFil: Golijow, Carlos Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentin

ANÁLISE SÓCIOECONÔMICA DOS AGROSILVICULTORES DO PROJETO DE REFLORESTAMENTO ECONÔMICO CONSORCIADO E ADENSADO (RECA), EM NOVA CALIFÓRNIA, RONDÔNIA

O assentamento agrícola de centenas de milhares de famílias na Amazônia gerou problemas ambientais e socioeconômicos significativos na região. Em 1984 foi implantado pelo Instituto nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária (INCRA) o Projeto de Assentamento Agrícola do Alto Madeira, em Vila Nova Califórnia-RO, divisa com o Estado do Acre. A partir de 1988, algumas lideranças rurais e produtores do assentamento resolvem priorizar o uso alternativo da terra com Sistemas Agroflorestais – SAFs, tendo como base o consórcio de culturas perenes regionais (cupuaçu, pupunha, castanha-do-brasil) e café, e formaram a Associação de Pequenos Agrosilvicultores do Projeto de Reflorestamento Econômico Consorciado e Adensado, que passou a ser conhecida como Projeto RECA. Este projeto teve como objetivos organizar os produtores e a produção primária e secundária, com o beneficiamento e comercialização dos produtos. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a situação produtiva e socioeconômica das propriedades e dos agrosilvicultores sócios do Projeto RECA. Foi efetuada a seleção de 50 unidade produtivas de produtores rurais, representando aproximadamente 1/3 das unidades produtivas para a mensuração de variáveis sócio econômicas e ambientais, através de amostragem intencional estratificada, em Dezembro 2004 e Janeiro de 2005. As 240 famílias associadas ao RECA são, na maioria (75%), migrantes da região centro-sul; com uma média de 13 anos no RECA; residem no lote a mais de 18 anos, que tem em média 82 hectares, sendo que em cada unidade de produção há 1,4 lotes, com 115 hectares, dos quais 55% encontra-se em floresta nativa, 29% em pastagem, 8% com SAFs, 6% em capoeiras e 2% em outros usos. Os produtos que geram maior renda são o cupuaçu, pupunha (semente, fruto e palmito), café e gado bovino, que somados respondem por 90% da renda bruta anual média, que é de R$20.800,00. O modelo de organização sócio-econômica do projeto RECA propiciou a melhoria das condições de vida dos produtores e da conservação ambiental, comprovando que as políticas direcionadas à agricultura familiar cooperativada, tanto nos processos produtivos relacionados ao uso da terra, como no beneficiamento e comercialização da produção através de agroindústrias, propiciou o acesso ao crédito e tecnologias, possibilitando melhorias no sistema de produção e aumento no valor agregado dos produtos, com retornos sociais e econômicos relevantes, verificados pela elevação da renda e qualidade de vida dos agricultores.------------------------------------------------------------- ---Agricultural settlement of hundreds of thousands of families in the Amazon caused significant environmental and socioeconomic problems in the region. In 1994 the National Institute for Settlement and Agrarian Reform (INCRA) established the Alto Madeira Agricultural Settlement Project in Vila California, State of Rondonia, on the border with the State of Acre. Beginning in 1988 some rural leaders and farmers of this settlement decided to focus on alternative land uses with agroforestry systems based on intercropping of native species (cupuaçu, peach palm and brazil nut) and coffee and established the Association of Small Farmers and Agrosilviculturalists of the Economic, Intercropped and Dense Reforestation Project which became known as Projeto Reca. This project had as objectives the organization of the farmers, the establishment of the agroforestry systems, the industrial processing and marketing the processed products to the local, regional and national markets. The objective of this study was to analyze the productive and socioeconomic situation of the properties and of the farmers of Projeto Reca. Between December 2004 and January 2005, 50 productive units representing 33$ 20.800,00. The model of socioeconomic organization of Projeto Reca resulted in significant improvement of farmers living conditions and promoted environmental conservation. This shows that policies for associations of small farmers aiming at promoting alternative land uses such as agroforestry systems, including adequate technologies, accessible credit lines, industrial processing and marketing strategies can be effective in adding value to products and improving efficiency and profitability of production systems, resulting in significant and sustainable economic and social benefits measured by higher income and better living conditions of farmers of Projeto Reca.Sistemas Agroflorestais, Amazônia, socioeconomia, RECA, Agroforestry Systems, Amazon, Socioeconomy, RECA, Farm Management,

Mediatization of religion and Cultural Studies: a reading of Stuart Hall

Although the issue of religion does not occupy a prominent place in the works of Stuart Hall or even in Cultural Studies in general, some contemporary phenomena related to media and religion relations can be analyzed within this key of interpretation, mostly when we think on the intersection with identity. In this text, some theoretic and conceptual possibilities are outlined in order to understand the process of mediatization of religion from a perspective of articulation of identities, focusing, in particular, on questions related to body and culture.Embora a questão da religião não ocupe um lugar de destaque na obra de Stuart Hall ou mesmo no âmbito dos Estudos Culturais, alguns dos fenômenos contemporâneos direcionados para as relações entre Mídia e Religião podem ser analisados dentro desta chave de compreensão, sobretudo quando se pensa na intersecção com questões de identidade. Neste texto, são delineadas algumas possibilidades teórico-conceituais de compreensão dos processos de midiatização da religião a partir da perspectiva de articulações identitárias, focalizando, em particular, nas questões relacionadas a corpo e cultura

Membrane-Proximal Epitope Facilitates Efficient T Cell Synapse Formation by Anti-FcRH5/CD3 and Is a Requirement for Myeloma Cell Killing

The anti-FcRH5/CD3 T cell-dependent bispecific antibody (TDB) targets the B cell lineage marker FcRH5 expressed in multiple myeloma (MM) tumor cells. We demonstrate that TDBs trigger T cell receptor activation by inducing target clustering and exclusion of CD45 phosphatase from the synapse. The dimensions of the target molecule play a key role in the efficiency of the synapse formation. The anti-FcRH5/CD3 TDB kills human plasma cells and patient-derived myeloma cells at picomolar concentrations and results in complete depletion of B cells and bone marrow plasma cells in cynomolgus monkeys. These data demonstrate the potential for the anti-FcRH5/CD3 TDB, alone or in combination with inhibition of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling, in the treatment of MM and other B cell malignancies.This work was supported by a Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (J.R.J.) jointly funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Society (grant number: 099966/Z/12/Z). PhD studentships (S.A.M. and M.J.H.) were funded by the Wellcome Trust (grant number: 102195/Z/13/Z)

Nut production in Bertholletia excelsa across a logged forest mosaic: implications for multiple forest use

Although many examples of multiple-use forest management may be found in tropical smallholder systems, few studies provide empirical support for the integration of selective timber harvesting with non-timber forest product (NTFP) extraction. Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa, Lecythidaceae) is one of the world’s most economically-important NTFP species extracted almost entirely from natural forests across the Amazon Basin. An obligate out-crosser, Brazil nut flowers are pollinated by large-bodied bees, a process resulting in a hard round fruit that takes up to 14 months to mature. As many smallholders turn to the financial security provided by timber, Brazil nut fruits are increasingly being harvested in logged forests. We tested the influence of tree and stand-level covariates (distance to nearest cut stump and local logging intensity) on total nut production at the individual tree level in five recently logged Brazil nut concessions covering about 4000 ha of forest in Madre de Dios, Peru. Our field team accompanied Brazil nut harvesters during the traditional harvest period (January-April 2012 and January-April 2013) in order to collect data on fruit production. Three hundred and ninety-nine (approximately 80%) of the 499 trees included in this study were at least 100 m from the nearest cut stump, suggesting that concessionaires avoid logging near adult Brazil nut trees. Yet even for those trees on the edge of logging gaps, distance to nearest cut stump and local logging intensity did not have a statistically significant influence on Brazil nut production at the applied logging intensities (typically 1–2 timber trees removed per ha). In one concession where at least 4 trees ha-1 were removed, however, the logging intensity covariate resulted in a marginally significant (0.09) P value, highlighting a potential risk for a drop in nut production at higher intensities. While we do not suggest that logging activities should be completely avoided in Brazil nut rich forests, when a buffer zone cannot be observed, low logging intensities should be implemented. The sustainability of this integrated management system will ultimately depend on a complex series of socioeconomic and ecological interactions. Yet we submit that our study provides an important initial step in understanding the compatibility of timber harvesting with a high value NTFP, potentially allowing for diversification of forest use strategies in Amazonian Perù