Status Quo Conditions Research Articles

Sustainability Assessment for Indirect Potable Reuse: A Case Study from Reno, Nevada.

A triple bottom line (TBL) approach was used to examine the trade-offs between potential reclaimed water management strategies in a closed basin. The goals of the water management strategy included minimizing water source shortages, ensuring safe and resilient future water supplies, and protecting inland ecosystems through adequate surface flows. The TBL approach consisted of quantitative and qualitative impact assessments of social, environmental, and economic criteria. This research examined how potable reuse of reclaimed water addresses water needs in a closed basin such as maintaining water quality, managing reclaimed water disposal, meeting growing water demand, balancing groundwater extraction rates with inflows, preserving inland ecosystems, and ensuring a locally controlled safe drinking water source. The TBL assessment first evaluated water stress based on water demand and supply under status quo conditions. The results were compared with the potable reuse scenario, which provides more environmental and social benefits than the status quo scenario.

Hassle Costs and Workplace Charitable Giving: Field Experiments with Google Employees

We use field experiments in the employee giving program at Google to demonstrate that hassle costs inhibit donations to charity. Relative to the status-quo control condition involving donation by credit card on the charity’s website, the treatment group received a simpler option to donate via payroll deduction with the click of a button, thereby decreasing the ‘hassle cost’ of giving by a couple of minutes. In each of two experiments (N=647 total participants), we found that reducing hassle costs increased the probability of donation to a promoted charity by at least 50%, without reducing average gift size. This led to large increases in total amount raised. Results from the two experiments lead us to conclude that the convenience of payroll deduction reduces hassle costs and thereby can produce increases in workplace giving for promoted charities.

Parameter interrelationships in a dual phase GIS-based municipal solid waste collection model

Geographic information systems are a valuable tool for waste collection and optimization, but they have been underutilized in helping to understand the complex interrelationships that exist within a dual phase solid waste collection system. A GIS-based dual phase model integrating the handcart pre-collection phase and truck collection phase for a study area located in Hai Phong, Vietnam was proposed, and a resulting total system cost was estimated. Temporary collection points were first identified using both the maximize coverage and minimize facility location-allocation tools from a list of candidate temporary collection points and constraints. Two vehicle routing problems were then separately modeled for handcart and truck routes. A total of 30 scenarios were considered in order to investigate the interrelationships between the model parameters, with respect to the total operation costs and maintenance system costs. The scenario with 11 temporary collection points and a maximum handcart collection distance of 500 m gave the lowest overall cost in the study area. The results suggest a single temporary collection point in the study is able to serve about 2,590 people in an area of 0.11 km2. Compared to the status quo condition, a 13.76% reduction in truck travel distances is attainable using the proposed model. It is found that the number and distribution of temporary collection points greatly affected the cost effectiveness in both pre-collection and collection phases.

International Norms in Ethno-Territorial Disputes: Legitimacy and Efficacy in Outsiders’ Views of Independence and Irredentism

Ethno-national territorial disputes typically involve conflicting homeland claims between states and minority ethnic groups. Where such minority ethnic groups have cross-border ethnic kin who themselves constitute a dominant or influential ethnic group in a neighbouring state, separatist goals may take the form of either irredentism or independence. We conjecture that external sympathy for irredentism and independence may vary significantly, and that this variation may be an important influence in situations where secessionist groups and ethnic kin states have a choice between the two goals. Using a bargaining framework that controls for variation in relative power, status quo conditions and minority-side leadership preferences, we present experimental evidence indicating that external audiences are likely to support more confrontational policies in pursuit of independence than in pursuit of irredentism. Our evidence also indicates that independence attracts greater support largely because outsiders perceive it as a more legitimate goal; and that practical efficacy is not important in stimulating sympathy for either independence or irredentism. These results also support a broader argument in the literature on international norms – that such norms receive support not only because they may justify pre-existing goals or interests, but also because they are perceived as having greater legitimacy per se.

An economic approach to marine megafauna conservation in the coral triangle: Marine turtles in Sabah, Malaysia

This study quantifies the Total Economic Value (TEV) marine turtles contribute to the Semporna Priority Conservation Area in Sabah, Malaysia, based on field surveys conducted in May 2014 with marine stakeholders, including 60 fishing households, 9 resorts, and 7 government and academic institutions. The estimated TEV of marine turtles was USD 23 million per year, ranging from USD 21–25 million. The estimated non-consumptive value of marine turtles far exceeded the consumptive use value. Moreover, the protection of marine turtles could potentially generate 1146 tourism jobs, equivalent to USD 469,000 in employment income per year. Conservation could be partially funded from tourism, as tourists were willing to contribute USD 1.5 million for marine turtle protection and conservation annually. Scenario analysis showed that the discounted TEV of marine turtles could reach up to USD 716 million over 30 years if full protection of turtles was implemented now. This is more than double the discounted TEV of marine turtles under status quo conditions (USD 262 million). By showing the substantial economic value derived from marine turtles, this study not only provides an important incentive for protecting marine turtles in Semporna, but also for investing in conserving marine resources in the wider Coral Triangle and Asia Pacific region.

Enhancing Environmentally Conscious Consumption through Standardized Sustainability Information

In today's retail marketplace, consumers receive little or no consistent brand‐level sustainability information, but this may change in the near future. Developing hypotheses based on the comparative brand processing and information disclosure literatures, we conduct a retail laboratory choice‐based experiment to test predictions related to the effects of brand‐level sustainability information on choices, product evaluations, and retailer perceptions. Compared to the status quo condition in which no sustainability information is provided for the product category at the retail point of purchase, the addition of positive (negative) sustainability information for the brand yields higher (lower) product evaluations and increased (decreased) brand choice. In addition, due to greenwashing concerns, many consumers may be skeptical of product‐level sustainability information, and we address the moderating role of this skepticism on retailer‐related perceptions.

Fluorescence and Quenching Assessment (EEM-PARAFAC) of de Facto Potable Reuse in the Neuse River, North Carolina, United States.

The Neuse River, North Carolina, U.S., exemplifies a typical de facto potable reuse scenario, where drinking water sources are located downstream of treated wastewater effluent discharges. The study results imply that planned potable water reuse, whether in an indirect or direct potable reuse scenario, might provide better control over water quality than the status quo conditions. Using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) measurements, anthropogenic influence of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge was observed in samples near the location of drinking water treatment plant (WTP) intakes, eight or more miles downstream of the WWTP, implying that anthropogenic compounds were not fully removed or degraded by natural processes in this reach of the river. PARAllel FACtor (PARAFAC) analysis supported a two-component model of humic-like and nonhumic-like dissolved organic matter (DOM). A nonmodeled anthropogenic feature was also indicated. Significantly, the quenched fluorescence of humic-like DOM (static and/or dynamic quenching) by nonhumic-like DOM-previously demonstrated for probe molecules but first reported here in a natural/anthropogenic-influenced system-offers exciting insight into studies of humic/nonhumic interactions with important implications for pollutant fate and transport, sensing applications, and water treatment. A molecular spectroscopic explanation for dual fluorescing peaks in amino acids and humic substances is postulated.

Asking Willingness-to-Accept Questions in Stated Preference Surveys: A Review and Research Agenda

Stated preference (SP) researchers have encountered an increasing number of policy problems for which a willingness-to-accept (WTA) compensation question would seem to be the most reasonable approach to structure the respondent's valuation choice task. However, most SP researchers are still reluctant to pose WTA questions to respondents due to concerns about reliability of responses and confusion about what contexts warrant a WTA question compared to a willingness-to-pay question. This review synthesizes the current literature, provides guidance on when and how to use WTA elicitation formats, and identifies research needs. We present a typology of valuation tasks that illustrates the situations in which WTA questions are appropriate and should be used to estimate welfare-theoretic measures of economic benefits—and when they should be avoided. We also discuss three different design issues that SP researchers need to consider when they use WTA questions: (a) elicitation of reference and status quo conditions, (b) incentive compatibility and private versus public goods, and (c) nonconforming responses. We conclude that good survey design makes it possible to ask respondents sensible WTA questions in many cases, yet several key research issues require attention.

Nuclear disarmament summits: A proposal to break the international impasse

ABSTRACTThe existing nuclear-disarmament architecture is under considerable stress. Given the international frustration over the slow pace of disarmament within the context of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and uncertainty about the future relationship between Russia and the United States, the prospects for advancing disarmament within politicized processes seem dim. But despite this negative environment, progress is possible. The ban treaty movement is bringing greater international attention to the disarmament impasse, and past successes in the Nuclear Security Summits demonstrate that states are willing to take actions that go beyond consensus statements. A similar set of summits, designed to encourage state-level and multinational efforts to make progress on conditions necessary for disarmament – such as transparency, monitoring, verification, and enforcement – could enable groups of states to move beyond the status quo and address key conditions that will be necessary to achieve disarmament.

Guiding Groundwater Policy in the Indus Basin of Pakistan Using a Physically Based Groundwater Model

The exponential increase in groundwater usage over the past few decades in the Punjab province in Pakistan is responsible for the significant groundwater table decline in many parts of the province, leading to an urgent need for policy measures to better manage groundwater use. A better understanding of the underground water balance is necessary for drafting informed groundwater management plans. With limited data, this study develops the first physically-based groundwater model for the entire Punjab province. Using the calibrated provincewide model, simulations are performed to evaluate groundwater dynamics in the future under different scenarios. These scenarios comprise controls on groundwater pumping, canal infrastructure improvements, and precipitation changes. The impacts of these scenarios are highlighted with the mapping of changes in water table, pumping cost, and waterlogged area. The results show that changes in both groundwater abstraction and seepage from the canal system into the aquifer significantly impact groundwater heads, whereas the effect of changing precipitation is negligible. Under status quo conditions, the average provincewide pumping cost is projected to increase by 270% in 23 years. The findings emphasize the heterogeneity in groundwater conditions across Punjab and highlight the need for region-specific management of groundwater resources.

Employees and sustainability: the role of incentives

Purpose– Organizational sustainability has become a priority on many corporate agendas. How to integrate sustainability efforts throughout the organization, however, remains a challenge. The purpose of this paper is to examine two factors that potentially enhance incentive effects on employee engagement in environmental objectives: explicit organizational values for sustainability and the performance objective’s complementarity with incented financial objectives.Design/methodology/approach– The authors employed a quasi-experimental design in which participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, including a status quo condition against which the treatments were contrasted. Participants (n=400) were comprised of a cross-section of US employees from a wide range of occupations and industries. Apost hocqualitative analysis provided additional insights.Findings– Incentive effects were enhanced (i.e. preference for the environmental objective was significantly higher) when the environmental project offered complementary benefits for financial objectives, but not when organization values emphasized sustainability. An entrenched status quo bias for financial performance was discerned among a subset of the sample.Research limitations/implications– Management scholars must pay close attention to the role of implicit norms for financial performance when investigating employee engagement in organizational sustainability efforts. From an applied perspective, framing sustainability objectives to emphasize financial benefits consistent with a financial mission may maximize employee engagement.Originality/value– This study contributes to understanding of organizational sustainability efforts at the individual employee level of analysis, a conspicuously small part of the organizational research surrounding this topic.

Leadership Preferences in Ethno-Territorial Disputes: An Experimental Approach

In the conflict bargaining literature, three variables have a primary explanatory role: relative power, status quo conditions, and leadership preferences. While leadership preferences loom large in case study research, they are either absent or poorly proxied in large-N statistical studies. Using a series of three experiments, we test for the effects of relative power, status quo conditions, and leadership preferences on decisions to apply various levels of nonviolent and violent pressure in ethno-territorial disputes. The experimental designs presented in this study offer the opportunity to isolate the impact of leadership preferences on political strategy choices in ethno-territorial disputes. The results demonstrate that, at least in an experimental setting, leadership preferences are, in fact, significant predictors of political strategy choices, even after controlling for relative power and status quo conditions.

Influence of point-of-sale tobacco displays and plain black and white cigarette packaging and advertisements on adults: Evidence from a virtual store experimental study

IntroductionWe examined the potential impact of banning tobacco displays and mandating plain packaging and cigarette advertisements at the point of sale (POS) on adult outcomes. MethodsA virtual convenience store was created with scenarios in which the tobacco product display was either fully visible (status quo) or enclosed behind a cabinet (display ban), and cigarette packs and advertisements were either in full color (status quo) or black and white, text only (plain). A national convenience sample of 1313 adult current smokers and recent quitters was randomized to 1 of 4 conditions and given a shopping task to complete in the virtual store. Main outcomes were participants' self-reported urge to smoke and tobacco purchase attempts in the virtual store. ResultsCompared with recent quitters in the status quo conditions, recent quitters in the display ban condition had lower urges to smoke (β=−4.82, 95% CI=−8.16–−1.49, p<0.01). Compared with current smokers in the status quo conditions, smokers in the display ban conditions were less likely to attempt to purchase cigarettes in the virtual store (OR=0.05, 95% CI=0.03–0.08, P<0.01). Smokers exposed to plain packs and ads were significantly less likely to attempt to purchase cigarettes (OR=0.31, 95% CI=0.20–0.47, P<0.01) than those exposed to color packs and ads. ConclusionsPolicies that ban the display of tobacco products or require plain packaging and advertising at the POS may help reduce adult smoking.

FDA's draft guidance on laboratory-developed tests increases clinical and economic risk to adoption of pharmacogenetic testing.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified Congress July 31, 2014,1 of its intent to regulate laboratory developed tests. These encompass thousands of clinical assays currently used in medical practice including most pharmacogenetic tests. This guidance has the potential to impact the innovation and sustainability of pharmacogenetic research and its clinical implementation.

Cost-effectiveness of using a social franchise network to increase uptake of oral rehydration salts and zinc for childhood diarrhea in rural Myanmar.

IntroductionThis paper examines the cost-effectiveness of achieving increases in the use of oral rehydration solution and zinc supplementation in the management of acute diarrhea in children under 5 years through social franchising. The study uses cost and outcome data from an initiative by Population Services International (PSI) in 3 townships of Myanmar in 2010 to promote an ORS-Zinc product called ORASEL.BackgroundThe objective of this study was to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness of a strategy to promote ORS-Z use through private sector franchising compared to standard government and private sector practices.MethodsCosting from a societal perspective included program, provider, and household costs for the 2010 calendar year. Program costs including ORASEL program launch, distribution, and administration costs were obtained through a retrospective review of financial records and key informant interviews with staff in the central Yangon office. Household out of pocket payments for diarrheal episodes were obtained from a household survey conducted in the study area and additional estimates of household income lost due to parental care-giving time for a sick child were estimated. Incremental cost-effectiveness relative to status quo conditions was calculated per child death and DALY averted in 2010. Health effects included deaths and DALYs averted; the former modeled based on coverage estimates from a household survey that were entered into the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). Uncertainty was modeled with Monte Carlo methods.FindingsBased on the model, the promotional strategy would translate to 2.85 (SD 0.29) deaths averted in a community population of 1 million where there would be 81,000 children under 5 expecting 48,373 cases of diarrhea. The incremental cost effectiveness of the franchised approach to improving ORASEL coverage is estimated at a median $5,955 (IQR: $3437-$7589) per death averted and $214 (IQR: $127-$287) per discounted DALY averted.InterpretationInvesting in developing a network of private sector providers and keeping them stocked with ORS-Z as is done in a social franchise can be a highly cost-effective in terms of dollars per DALY averted.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12962-015-0030-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Protocol for the economic evaluation of the diarrhea alleviation through zinc and oral rehydration salt therapy at scale through private and public providers in rural Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, India.

BackgroundChild diarrhea persists as a leading public health problem in India despite evidence supporting zinc and low osmolarity oral rehydration salts as effective treatments. Across 2 years in 2010–2013, the Diarrhea Alleviation using Zinc and Oral Rehydration Salts Therapy (DAZT) program was implemented to operationalize delivery of these interventions at scale through private and public sector providers in rural Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, India.Methods/DesignThis study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of DAZT program activities relative to status quo conditions existing before the study, comparing a Monte Carlo simulation method with net-benefit regression, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. A control group was not included in the ‘before and after’ study design as zinc has proven effectiveness for diarrhea treatment. Costs will be calculated using a societal perspective including program implementation and household out-of-pocket payments for care seeking, as well as estimates of wages lost. Outcomes will be measured in terms of episodes averted in net-benefit regression and in terms of the years of life lost component of disability-adjusted life years in the method based on Monte Carlo simulation. The Lives Saved Tool will be used to model anticipated changes in mortality over time and deaths averted based on incremental changes in coverage of oral rehydration salts and zinc. Data will derive from cross-sectional surveys at the start, midpoint, and endpoint of the program. In addition, Lives Saved Tool (LiST) projections will be used to define the reference case value for the ceiling ratio in terms of natural units.DiscussionThis study will be useful both in its application to an economic evaluation of a public health program in its implementation phase but also in its comparison of two methodological approaches to cost-effectiveness analysis. Both policy recommendations and methodological lessons learned will be discussed, recognizing the limitations in drawing strong policy conclusions due to the uncontrolled study design. It is expected that this protocol will be useful to researchers planning what method to use for the evaluation of similar before and after studies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13012-014-0164-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Communication technologies promoting educational communities with scholarship of engagement

PurposeThis study aims to present Dramatic Problem Solving Facilitation Model (DPSFM) and Interactive Management (IM) as innovative alternative dispute resolution approaches that incorporate communication technologies in recording and analyzing data. DPSFM utilizes performance‐based actions with facilitation methods to help participants design action plans. Interactive Management (IM) utilizes a holistic, culturally sensitive and systemic approach to resolve complex problems. Communication technological assistance is accompanied by IM to enhance parsimony and support saliency of the ideas generated. Both approaches support action plans. This paper argues that both DPSFM and IM are theoretical frameworks that are valuable for conflict resolution, educators, and social science specialists who are interested in conducting research under the paradigm of knowing referred to as “Scholarship of Engagement”. This paradigm engages participants in research while promoting action plans and improving status quo conditions. The current paper overviews the benefits of both models and makes a strong case for application of their communication technologies across a variety of contexts. DPSFM and IM are directly involved with promoting change, and supporting actions to improve human conditions. The framework of “Scholarship of Engagement” is introduced as an integrative model for “praxis”. The purpose of this paper was to provide alternative options for working in facilitation groups.Design/methodology/approachThe methodological approach involved the models of DPSFM and IM.FindingsThe findings of DPSFM and IM applications have been positive and they were revealed in several domestic and international settings.Originality/valueThe value of this work is that it presents an alternative perspective to traditional models in facilitation. The work has transferability in a number of community settings.

Determining the cost-effectiveness of managing acute diarrhoea through social franchising of ORASEL: a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundOral rehydration solutions (ORS) along with zinc supplementation (ORS-Z) can reduce mortality more so than plain ORS if properly prepared and administered. Because ORS-Z is still infrequently used in many rural settings, health planners are looking for strategies to increase coverage wherever children can be reached. Given the high number of children seeking care for diarrhoea in the private sector, this study examined the cost-effectiveness of a strategy to introduce a Population Services International (PSI)-developed ORS-Z product, an ORASEL Kit, into a network of private providers. The cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted in the context of data on programme impact from a community-level, cluster randomised trial of the introduction of ORASEL through a social franchising programme. MethodsEconomic costs were obtained from a societal perspective inclusive of programme, provider, and household costs for the 2010 calendar year. Data were gathered during key informant interviews with staff in the central Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) office as well as through PSI payroll and cost data. We also estimated providers' retail costs as well as patients' opportunity costs of care seeking. Incremental cost-effectiveness relative to status quo conditions was calculated per child death and disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted in 2010. Health effects included deaths and DALYs averted with a 3% discount rate; the former modelled based on coverage estimates obtained through a cross-sectional household survey and inputted into the lives saved tool. Uncertainty was tested with acceptability curves and other sensitivity analyses. FindingsThe children in the treatment arm of the trial had a 13·7% (95% CI 7·3–20·2) point increase in probability of using ORASEL for a case of diarrhoea compared with no treatment or plain ORS. Based on the model, this would translate to 3·12 deaths averted in a population of 10 000 person-years. The incremental cost-effectiveness of the franchised approach to improving ORASEL coverage is estimated at US$2557 (2457–2568) per death averted and $94·50 (94·13–94·89) per discounted DALY averted. InterpretationDistribution of ORASEL through private sector franchising is highly cost effective according to the thresholds set forth by the Commission for Macroeconomics and Health. Results are comparable to other priority interventions recommended for adoption in south Asia by the Disease Control Priorities Project and are anticipated to contribute to the discourse on achieving the fourth Millennium Development Goal. Further work is recommended to assess the cost-effectiveness of this delivery modality in other settings. FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Upside of Down: Disaster and the Imagination 50 Years On

The Upside of Down: Disaster and the Imagination 50 Years On

SLEUTH 모델을 이용한 청주시 토지이용변화 예측

By IPCC climate change scenario, the socioeconomic actions such as the land use change are closely associated with the climate change as an up zoning action of urban development to increase green gas emission to atmosphere. Prediction of the land use change with rational quality can provide better data for understanding of the climate change in future. This study aims to predict land use change of Cheongju in future and SLEUTH model is used to anticipate with the status quo condition, in which the pattern of land use change in future follows the chronical tendency of land use change during last 25 years. From 40 years prediction since 2000 year, the area urbanized compared with 2000 year increases up to 87.8% in 2040 year. The ratios of the area urbanized from agricultural area and natural area in 2040 are decreased to 53.1% and 15.3%, respectively.