This paper introduces the even-odd POMDP, an approximation to POMDPs in which the world is assumed to be fully observable every other time step. The even-odd POMDP can be converted into an equivalent MDP, the
2MDP, whose value function, V*[subscript 2MDP], can be combined online with a 2-step lookahead search...
Many machine learning applications require
classifiers that minimize an asymmetric cost
function rather than the misclassification
rate, and several recent papers have addressed
this problem. However, these papers
have either applied no statistical testing
or have applied statistical methods that are
not appropriate for the cost-sensitive setting.
Without good statistical...
This paper reports on an empirical study involving end users that addresses the question of whether it is possible to provide the benefits of formal testing within the informal spreadsheet paradigm. We have developed a "What You See Is What You Test" (WYSIWYT) methodology that brings the benefits of formal...
In 1995 my students and I developed Leda, a multiparadigm language based on the Pascal model. Leda allowed programmers to create abstractions in an object-oriented, functional, or logic programming style. More recently we have been interested in recreating this work, but this time using Java as the language basis. The...
In spring time, animals, goats and sheep in particular, prefer to eat flowers Pulsatilla multifida, and Iris tenifolia. Pulsatilla's flower contains sugar 20.33, starch 6.71, cellulose 19.15, lignin 6.50, and acid detergent fibre (ADF) 24.88, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) 32.55, hemicellulose 7.67, and protein 14.27 percent. Dry matter digestibility (DMD),...
Vegetation and geographic region including forest steppe in Khangai Range, mountain steppe in Mongol Altai, desert steppe in the Great Lakes Depression, the Valley of the Lakes and Gobi Altai Mountains and Zuungar and Trans-Altai Gobi were covered by the scope of the investigation. 181 samples of 123 plant species...
Desert, desert-steppe (Gobi) zone is the largest province by area (165,000 square kilometres) of Mongolia. The Gobi contains some 560 plant species, in 80 different vegetation associations (Swift, 1991). There are number of results of nutritive value of desert-steppe’s pasture grass. Mongolia’s dry climate means that pasture grasses have less...
We present a meta-model as a process maturity framework that can be effectively used to
identify the key practices to initiate and sustain a software process improvement effort
focused on a single process area. Our approach moves away from the overall software
development process and computation of maturity levels and...
Abstract: In this project, our goal is to design a flipping algorithm for computing the Voronoi diagram of simple polygons. As preparation towards designing a flipping algorithm, we re-implemented the ear cutting algorithm of using a standard geometric library COAL. This new Implementation is compatible with COAL, We have designed...
Japan experienced a major economic bubble in the latter
half of the 1980s. There are two major indicators that tell
the magnitude of the bubble. One is land and the other is
stock. I wish to share my views with you as to why the bubble
occurred and why the...
In this paper, a three-country dynamic bio-economic model is presented and used to simulate catch levels, stock size and profit potential of alternative management strategies for the Norwegian spring-spawning herring fishery. Management of the herring fishery is complicated by the migratory behaviour of the species moving between coastal state zones...
Many fisheries assign observers to vessels as a means of collecting stock data and monitoring regulatory compliance.
Typically, deployment is random and the level of coverage determined in an ad hoc manner. This paper explores optimal
observer coverage and the deployment of observers to vessels from an enforcement perspective. The...
The history of our fishing industry gives us insights into the ‘megatrends’ and socioeconomic forces that
will shape our future, and also provides us tools for addressing the problems of the present. The future will be less
predictable than the past, due to a wide variety of economic and physical...
The only two seafood commodities traded in futures markets are frozen white and black tiger shrimps on the
Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGE). These two contracts, however, have failed to attract the expected trade volume based on
the underlying shrimp cash market flow. First, we investigate the hedging effectiveness of these...
The marine fisheries production from African coastal countries, combined with that of freshwater production of
the continent is estimated to be 6 millions metric tons, corresponding only 5 % of the total world production. Africa's
contribution to fisheries products (1,5 %) is insignificant compared to that of world commerce which...
Japan is one of the largest importers of wheat, with imports originating from three countries, Australia,
Canada, and the United States. Australia, Canada and Japan all use a government single-desk agency to control wheat
trade. Many previous studies on competition in the world grain trade have argued the market is...
The intermediate market for raw fish is characterized by time and space considerations that create significant
quasi-rents between the fisher and the initial processor(s) approached to complete an exchange. This “temporal specificity”
is more pronounced the fewer the number of alternative potential buyers, the more perishable the catch and the...
This paper discusses some important issues in constructing price indexes. The issues relate to
the choice of an index number formula. Which is a “good” index number formula for aggregating prices?
A variety of alternative index number formulae are explored based on the economic approach and the
axiomatic (test) approach....
Fishermen, who initially harvest the resource, usually content themselves with landing and selling the raw
material. It is the food processing industry, wholesalers, distributors and retailers that create added value from the fish by
transforming it or/and differentiating different types or quality grades.
Focussing upon Brittany, Normandy and the Channel...
In July 1997 a trade agreement between Norway and the European Union went into effect. The agreement specifies
an increase in the export levy on Norwegian salmon entering the EU from 0.75% to 3.00% ad valorem. The proceeds of the
levy are to be used by the Norwegian Seafood Export...
What is required for science and industry to work together, speak a similar language, and find common ground?
Leverage the real-world interdependencies that occur within the context of business/labor/science/academics/NGOs and
government. Successful information and knowledge transfer among scientists, academics, and their business partners requires
collaboration, establishing common goals, and cultural/organizational...
Survey data on the choice of canned fish were analyzed through stepwise logistic regression. Those who lived in
northern Taiwan, those who paid more attention to food taste, those who preferred to eat fish, those who liked to eat sour
food, those who liked to eat bitter gourds, those employed...
This paper considers interdependence in seafood consumption exploiting data on consumer expenditures in
Spain, using dominance models. Interdependence is modeled by making parameters in both the participation and the
consumption equations dependent upon current consumption in the reference group of a particular consumer. The estimates
of a parsimonious model using...
The objective of this study was to determine the sustainable yield of the small - scale fisheries operations in Lagos
State. Between January and December 1991, 113 mechanized and 43 non-mechanized fishing units in 21 coastal villages
were purposively chosen and surveyed on a bi-monthly basis through questionnaire administration. Costs...
Before and after the 3-year generic advertising campaign for fresh fish in Denmark, representative consumer
samples were surveyed with regard to their attitudes towards fresh fish, perceived family norms, availability of fresh fish
in shops, meal preparation skills, intentions to buy fresh fish, and actual consumption frequencies. In the pre-campaign...
The Italian seafood chain is experiencing strong evolutionary pressures. Domestic operators, especially at catch
level suffer from weak organisational structures and poor logistics, fragmentation and lack of specialisation. Based on an
analysis of the sector's strengths and weaknesses, the authors present three recommendations for bringing about the necessary
changes. Whereas...
This study provides estimates of a complete demand elasticities matrix for meat, poultry, fishery fish,
aquaculture fish, as well as shrimp and shell fish in Taiwan, using the linear approximate almost ideal demand system.
Estimation is based on aggregate annual consumption data complied from Taiwan Food Balance Sheets during 1970-1998....
This paper examines the impacts of tightening environmental regulations on optimal trade and investment
policies. We find that for a small open two-sector economy with an importable sector relying on foreign capital while
emitting pollution, a more stringent environmental measure leads to a higher optimal tariff and possibly a higher...
In the study of a geographically aggregated market, the choice of a representative household leads to consider the
whole territory as a single, homogeneous one. However, there are reasons to believe that regional preference differences do
exist when there are important cultural and climatic differences among regions, and, historically, most...
In this study we apply Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to examine the similarities and differences of the
quality perceptions of different fish market sectors. In order to make this analyse, a hierarchic model of the total quality of
fresh rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) fillets was created. The model had seven...
Vertical mergers are mostly perceived in the literature as a way of reducing production and transaction costs.
However, vertical restrictions or raising rivals’ costs (RRC) are taken into great consideration by the antitrust authorities as
potential consequences of vertical integration. The case of the French tuna industry seems of particular...
In an age of increasing complexity, simple answers no longer suffice, but the demand for greater sophistication
is itself at odds with an era of growing specialization. Researchers must thus incorporate information from specialists in
other fields. This trend in interdisciplinary research contains hidden challenges, however, including a necessary familiarity...
George Kennedy discusses new directions in interdisciplinary teaching (including distance learning) and research
being adopted at The University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. He discusses initiatives at different
levels: within one Faculty (College) - the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at UBC; across Faculties at UBC; and between
UBC...
Japan has about 10% and 15% share for the consumption and trade of marine products respectively, and the trend has
significant impacts on world markets. Thus the purpose of this article is to estimate the income elasticity of the demand, that
includes all kinds of fish usage such as eating...
In this paper, we use an interactionist perspective to study inter-industry variation in buying behavior. We argue that individual purchasers’ preferences for suppliers depend on three broad classes of variables: (1) The structure of the value chain stage in which the firm competes, (2) the firm’s competitive strategy and (3)...
The impact of vertical integration (VI) on performance is an often-addressed topic in both management and
economic studies. The contradicting conclusions based on different theoretical perspectives regarding this impact cause
need for empirical studies. Empirical work, however, has lagged behind. In fact, few studies have in a convincing way
demonstrated...
Survey data of food consumption were analyzed utilizing stepwise logistic regression to investigate factors
affecting consumer choice of shrimp as the most frequently consumed non-fish seafood in Taiwan. Demographic factors,
consumer attention to food attributes, and consumer preferences for fish were considered in modeling. Results showed more
people preferring shrimp...
Due to declines in stocks, restrictive management plans, and imports of whole groundfish from Canada, the supply
of whole fresh Atlantic groundfish to New England processing plants (landings plus whole fresh imports) declined by 75%
since its peak in 1983. These reductions in supply of Atlantic groundfish put severe pressure...
Over the last decade, advocates of the interdisciplinary concept of social capital have celebrated the fact that elements
of local social structures--embodied in social norms, networks and organizations--can significantly affect well-being in fishing
communities. But does this concept bring anything to the study and practice of fisheries management that is...
The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling was signed in Washington, D.C. in late 1946. All 14
signatories were whaling nations. Apart from some whaling by their indigenous people, none of the original 14 whale today, and some
such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand have played...
The US North Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) fishery is one of the most controversial cases of renewable
resource exploitation. Public management of this resource has resulted in substantial public debate. Bluefin tuna is also
considered a culture-specific product, as it is almost exclusively consumed uncooked in Japan. Bluefin tuna...
In this paper, we examine the problems inherent in the export-oriented tuna industry taking the Philippines and Indonesia as examples. Although problems are reduced to the depletion of or possible depletion of tuna resources, we intend to clarify the industry structure that may have led to such local depletion. Though...
The seafood industry is one part of the food industry competing for consumer protein demand. Generic advertising
or promotion offers one approach to expand that demand. Generic promotion programs focus on market expansion involving
an entire industry or segment. They involve advertising directly to the final consumer or to institutional...
This paper discusses some results from a regional study of the proper roles of ecological research scientists in
natural resource decision-making. The study was conducted in the Pacific Northwest by researchers at Oregon State
University and focuses on scientists involved in the Long Term Ecological Research Program (LTER). Using data...
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is among those institutions that advocate free trade in goods, service and capital
among nations. This view is not shared universally, however, especially when there are important natural resource, environmental and
labor issues at stake. In fact, some countries discourage the exportation of natural resource...
Forest management in the Little Red River/Tall Cree traditionally used territory has long been dictated by
‘professionally’ trained foresters whose interests often run counter to those of aboriginal community residents. Because of
this, band members have largely been excluded from the decision making process while their concerns, values, and
knowledge...
Managers play an important role in strategic decision making. One important objective of strategic leadership is
that of linking the organization to its environment. In this paper we ask the question: To what degree are managers' external
network contingent on organizational design, i.e. the internal characteristics of the organization? With...
Individual Vessel Quota (IVQ) management provides geoduck harvesters in British Columbia with a greater stake in
the fishery, by enhancing certainty of harvest access to the fishery. IVQ management has encouraged harvesters to become more
interested in the economic and environmental sustainability of the fishery and less in developing strategies...
This study investigates a possible structural break in the relationship between the price of Norwegian salmon
exported to the EU and prices of Chilean salmon exported to the US. A structural break is expected in the spring/summer
1997 because restrictions on price and quantum on Norwegian salmon was introduced at...