The ‘Spirit’ of the Thing: The Boundaries of Aboriginal Economic Relations at Australian Common Law

Aboriginal economic relations have been misconstrued as a type of primitive exchange in at least one native title case discussed in this paper. The pursuit by Aboriginal native title claimants of recognition at law of customary economic rights as inherent in, or an adjunct of, native title rights failed in Yarmirr and Others v. Northern Territory of Australia and Others (1998) 156 ALR 370 (the ‘Croker Island case’) for several reasons. The applicant's native title was found to be non‐exclusive of other interests, and a right to trade in resources of the sea was rejected. This case was argued in part by relying on historical material regarding Macassan trading arrangements. The profound alterity of Aboriginal relationships among persons and things, as the Croker Island evidence of property and trade relations demonstrates, have been re‐constituted in legal discourse as an absence of economic relations. In this paper, we argue that there is no sound basis for the distinction made between commercial and non‐commercial native title rights, whether in the Native Title Act 1993 (Commonwealth of Australia), or in recent judicial reasoning. We contend that native title rights and interests constitute a sui generis species of property relations that enable economic rights as conceived in Aboriginal tradition and custom to circulate in the modern market. Aboriginal customary economic relations of and between Aboriginal groupings are markedly distinct from, yet not incommensurable with, the normative conception of economic relations in the Australian market. We argue that a reformulation of the current Australian legal ideas about economic life is necessary for the recognition of Aboriginal economic institutions in native title claims and other economic arenas.     

Exploring the effects of working for endowments on behaviour in standard economic games

In recent years, significant advances have been made in understanding the adaptive (ultimate) and mechanistic (proximate) explanations for the evolution and maintenance of cooperation. Studies of cooperative behaviour in humans invariably use economic games. These games have provided important insights into the mechanisms that maintain economic and social cooperation in our species. However, they usually rely on the division of monetary tokens which are given to participants by the investigator. The extent to which behaviour in such games may reflect behaviour in the real world of biological markets--where money must be earned and behavioural strategies incur real costs and benefits--is unclear. To provide new data on the potential scale of this problem, we investigated whether people behaved differently in two standard economic games (public goods game and dictator game) when they had to earn their monetary endowments through the completion of dull or physically demanding tasks, as compared with simply being given the endowment. The requirement for endowments to be 'earned' through labour did not affect behaviour in the dictator game. However, the requirement to complete a dull task reduced cooperation in the public goods game among the subset of participants who were not familiar with game theory. There has been some effort to test whether the conclusions drawn from standard, token-based cooperation games adequately reflect cooperative behaviour 'in the wild.' However, given the almost total reliance on such games to study cooperation, more exploration of this issue would be welcome. Our data are not unduly worrying, but they do suggest that further exploration is needed if we are to make general inferences about human behaviour from the results of structured economic games.     

HOW WILL THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN AFFECT ACADEMIC BIOETHICS?

An educated guess about the future of academic bioethics can only be made on the basis of the historical conditions of its success. According to its official history, which attributes its success primarily to the service it has done for the patient, it should be safe at least as long as the patient still needs its service. Like many other academic disciplines, it might suffer under the present economic downturn. However, in the plausible assumption that its social role has not been exhausted yet, it should recover as soon as the economy does. But if, as this paper tries to argue, the success of academic bioethics should be attributed first and foremost to the service it has done for the neoliberal agenda, then its future would have to depend on the fate of the latter. The exact implications of the downturn for the neoliberal agenda are obviously impossible to predict. Among the various options, however, the one of going back to ‘normal’ seems to be the least likely. The other options suggest that the future of academic bioethics, as we have known it, is bleak.     

Prediction of relative efficiency of some selection indices used in winter wheat

Separate selection indices were constructed for various combinations of selective characters, in which together with components of economic yield also four separate subcharacters, yield prerequisites were used, namely: flag leaf area, length of the flag leaf, angle of the second leaf (from the top) and length of plant at heading time. Maximum genetic advance in weight of grains per plant (yield) from selections may be expected in selection indices in which three economic yield components together with flag leaf area or angle of the second leaf were used. When as criteria for selection the flag leaf area together with yield components were used, selection indices with six different sets of economic weights for yield and weight of one grain were also computed. For the ratio of economic values 1∶1, the total expected advance was the highest, but separate advance in yield was approximately only 57% in comparing with selection made according to yield as complex character. For the ratio of economic values 1∶0·03 to 1∶0 the expected genetic advances in yield were about 22 and 24 per cent higher in comparing with selections according to yield. It may be expected that yield improvment will not be acquired by means of a great number of small, inferior grains.     

Assessing recreational benefits as an economic indicator for an industrial harbour report card

Industrial harbours are a complex interface between environmental, economic and social systems. Trying to manage the social and economic needs of the community while maintaining the integrity of environmental ecosystems is complicated, as is the identification and evaluation of the various factors that underpin the drivers of economic, community and resource condition. An increasingly popular strategy to deal with the identification and evaluation challenges in complex human-environmental systems is to use a report card system which can be used as a summary assessment tool to monitor the health of aquatic ecosystems. To date though these have largely focused on environmental factors, and it is only very recently that attempts are being made to include social, cultural and economic indicators. There has been limited consensus in the selection of social and economic indicators applied in different aquatic report cards but as recreation is such an important activity, typically some measure of recreation benefit is included. However, there has been no commonality in the measures applied to assess its performance as an economic indicator.This paper is focused on the assessment of recreational benefits as an indicator of economic value in the report card for Gladstone Harbour in Queensland, Australia. It is the first aquatic health report card to include an assessment of the nonmarket value of recreation which makes it a more comprehensive indicator of economic value compared to other report cards based on measures of employment, participation or expenditure. There have now been three consecutive years of reporting (2014–2016) of the Gladstone Harbour report card, and the results indicate that the recreation index appears to be effective in monitoring changes over time.     

Rapid Survey Technique Using Socio-Economic Indicators to Assess the Suitability of Pacific Island Rural Communities for Kappaphycus Seaweed Farming Development

The literature on economic feasibility of farming seaweeds like Kappaphycus alvarezii in tropical locations is mainly based upon Asian case studies, and often does not take into account social factors in seaweed farming success. Pacific island countries are culturally and economically distinct from Asia, and efforts are now being made to establish seaweed industries here. Past experiences have showed that social factors often outweigh technical factors in determining the success of rural development projects. In addition, Pacific island communities are very diverse in their socio-economic make-up. The particular community chosen for location of a development project is therefore critical to success. Project managers need to recognize in advance the best type of community for seaweed farming development. The objective of this study was to identify socio economic factors that can be used as predictors of project success or failure. Using results of social survey techniques carried out in eight communities within the Fiji Group, a rapid survey technique has been developed which can enable decisions about whether a community is suitable for farming seaweed or not. Though developed from Fiji case studies, the technique can be applied in other rural Asia/Pacific situations.     

Analyzing Beach Recreationists’ Preferences for the Reduction of Jellyfish Blooms: Economic Results from a Stated-Choice Experiment in Catalonia,Spain

Jellyfish outbreaks and their consequences appear to be on the increase around the world, and are becoming particularly relevant in the Mediterranean. No previous studies have quantified tourism losses caused by jellyfish outbreaks. We used a stated-choice questionnaire and a Random Utility Model to estimate the amount of time respondents would be willing to add to their journey, in terms of reported extra travel time, in order to reduce the risk of encountering jellyfish blooms in the Catalan coast. The estimation results indicated that the respondents were willing to spend on average an additional 23.8% of their travel time to enjoy beach recreation in areas with a lower risk of jellyfish blooms. Using as a reference the opportunity cost of time, we found that the subsample of individuals who made a trade-off between the disutility generated by travelling longer in order to lower the risk of jellyfish blooms, and the utility gained from reducing this risk, are willing to pay on average €3.20 per beach visit. This estimate, combined with the respondents’ mean income, yielded annual economic gains associated with reduction of jellyfish blooms on the Catalan coast around €422.57 million, or about 11.95% of the tourism expenditures in 2012. From a policy-making perspective, this study confirms the importance of the economic impacts of jellyfish blooms and the need for mitigation strategies. In particular, providing daily information using social media applications or other technical devices may reduce these social costs. The current lack of knowledge about jellyfish suggests that providing this information to beach recreationists may be a substantially effective policy instrument for minimising the impact of jellyfish blooms.     

生态效率方法研究进展与应用

生态效率同时考虑经济效益和环境效益,是将可持续发展的宏观目标融入中观（区域）和微观（企业）的发展规划与管理中的有效工具。回顾了生态效率的概念和发展过程,分析了其内涵和指标体系,探讨了几种典型计算方法与模型,并介绍了国内外在企业、行业和区域3个层次上的应用实践,讨论和提出了进一步开展生态效率研究的焦点问题和未来方向。     

Correlates of voluntary childlessness in a select population

In order to determine a sociological profile of voluntarily childless couples, 72 couples who had applied to the Association for Voluntary Sterilization for help in obtaining surgical sterilizations were surveyed. No pretense is made that this sample is representative of all childless couples, but this study provides the first step of such research. The average couple in this group was living in a large metropolitan area, about 30 years old, and had been married about 5 years. They tended to be of high socioeconomic status and claimed no religious affiliation. Most had been contracepting for several years, usually with the pill, and were not likely to have had a miscarriage or abortion. Population concerns and health considerations were found to be the 2 most mentioned reasons for these couples' desired childlessness. Other reasons included career commitments, lifestyle, or economic desires. Less common motivations for childlessness included dislike of children and fear of pregnancy. Before significant research on voluntary childlessness can be conducted, some accurate means of selecting a representative sample must be developed.     

Gloom and doom? The future of marine capture fisheries

Predicting global fisheries is a high-order challenge but predictions have been made and updates are needed. Past forecasts, present trends and perspectives of key parameters of the fisheries--including potential harvest, state of stocks, supply and demand, trade, fishing technology and governance--are reviewed in detail, as the basis for new forecasts and forecasting performance assessment. The future of marine capture fisheries will be conditioned by the political, social and economic evolution of the world within which they operate. Consequently, recent global scenarios for the future world are reviewed, with the emphasis on fisheries. The main driving forces (e.g. global economic development, demography, environment, public awareness, information technology, energy, ethics) including aquaculture are described. Outlooks are provided for each aspect of the fishery sector. The conclusion puts these elements in perspective and offers the authors' personal interpretation of the possible future pathway of fisheries, the uncertainty about it and the still unanswered questions of direct relevance in shaping that future.     

The death of a drum: objects,persons, and changing social form on the Rai Coast of Papua New Guinea

Slit‐gong drums, made and used as part of affinal exchange relations on the Rai Coast of Papua New Guinea, are considered to be a kind of person. They cannot be extracted from the kin formations in which they came into being because they are part of the transformed relations that their manufacture effects. In an unprecedented event in 2010, a large slit‐gong used by a local community school was attacked during a dispute. In light of this, I examine irreplaceability and substitutability in relation to persons on the Rai Coast and explore what the attack implies about the changing status of objects and things under new economic and social conditions.     

A 20-year historical review of West Nile virus since its initial emergence in North America: Has West Nile virus become a neglected tropical disease?

After the unexpected arrival of West Nile virus (WNV) in the United States in 1999, the mosquito-borne virus quickly spread throughout North America. Over the past 20 years, WNV has become endemic, with sporadic epizootics. Concerns about the economic impact of infection in horses lead to the licensure of an equine vaccine as early as 2005, but few advances regarding human vaccines or treatments have since been made. There is a high level of virus transmission in hot/humid, subtropical climates, and high morbidity that may disproportionately affect vulnerable populations including the homeless, elderly, and those with underlying health conditions. Although WNV continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality at great cost, funding and research have declined in recent years. These factors, combined with neglect by policy makers and amenability of control measures, indicate that WNV has become a neglected tropical disease.     

Methods for recovery of ionic liquids—A review

Ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted much attention in both academics and industries as promising solvents for a diverse range of applications. However, there were little industrial processes employing ILs as current time due to the economical and efficient use of ILs. The economic efficiency can be improved by recycling and reuse of ILs. In the last few decades, several attempts have been made, by the researchers, for recovery and recycling of ILs. This review is intended to present a comprehensive summary on the methods used for recovery and recycling of ILs.     

Trypanosomatid parasites of plants (phytomonas)

Trypanosomatids of the genus Phytomonas have been known as parasites of lactiferous plants since the beginning of the century and have been the subject of renewed attention in the past decade, as they are now recognized to be pathogenic in plants of economic interest. Nevertheless, information about these flagellates is still scanty. Until recently they had not been cultured, or studied biochemically or ultrastructurally. Phytophagous insects are their putative vectors but exactly which species are involved remains to be established. There are many unanswered questions about the taxonomic identification, pathogenecity and transmission of Phytomonas spp as well as about their natural hosts and reservoirs; this article by Erney Camargo, Pieter Kastelein and Isaac Roitman highlights some of them.     

The economic value and sustainable harvest of plants and animals from the tropical forest: Assumptions,hypotheses, and methods

Recent studies of non-timber products from tropical rain forests have emphasized the economic value of these products and the sustainability of present harvests. Many of these studies rely upon a set of untested assumptions about the effects of harvesting upon the forest and the economic value of non-timber forest products in both the marketplace and in the daily life of rural people. These assumptions were formulated as a series of hypotheses during the workshop held in the Regional Community Forestry Training Center, Kesetsart University, Bangkok, in May 1992. The six hypotheses developed by workshop participants will be used to guide future research. As the hypotheses are tested, the data will be used to create a more realistic assessment of the sustainability and economic value of extraction of non-timber products from tropical forests.     

Economic inequality caused by feedbacks between poverty and the dynamics of a rare tropical disease: the case of Buruli ulcer in sub-Saharan Africa

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have received increasing attention in recent years by the global heath community, as they cumulatively constitute substantial burdens of disease as well as barriers for economic development. A number of common tropical diseases such as malaria, hookworm or schistosomiasis have well-documented economic impacts. However, much less is known about the population-level impacts of diseases that are rare but associated with high disability burden, which represent a great number of tropical diseases. Using an individual-based model of Buruli ulcer (BU), we demonstrate that, through feedbacks between health and economic status, such NTDs can have a significant impact on the economic structure of human populations even at low incidence levels. While average wealth is only marginally affected by BU, the economic conditions of certain subpopulations are impacted sufficiently to create changes in measurable population-level inequality. A reduction of the disability burden caused by BU can thus maximize the economic growth of the poorest subpopulations and reduce significantly the economic inequalities introduced by the disease in endemic regions.     

The "Hawaiian Cultural Revolution": Some Political and Economic Considerations

Acculturation, culture fatigue, and cultural evolution have all been offered as explanations of the Hawaiian Cultural Revolution. All of these are concerned with cultural processes. The relevant historical and ethnographic data on this unique event are summarized here, and a different interpretation of them is offered. This interpretation is that the events that precipitated the so-called Cultural Revolution can also be regarded as political responses deliberately made by the legitimate government of Hawaii to alleviate a severe political and economic crisis.     

Contested futures: envisioning “Personalized,” “Stratified,” and “Precision” medicine

In recent years, discourses around “personalized,” “stratified,” and “precision” medicine have proliferated. These concepts broadly refer to the translational potential carried by new data-intensive biomedical research modes. Each describes expectations about the future of medicine and healthcare that data-intensive innovation promises to bring forth. The definitions and uses of the concepts are, however, plural, contested and characterized by diverse ideas about the kinds of futures that are desired and desirable. In this paper, we unpack key disputes around the “personalized,” “stratified,” and “precision” terms, and map the epistemic, political and economic contexts that structure them as well as the different roles attributed to patients and citizens in competing future imaginaries. We show the ethical and value baggage embedded within the promises that are manufactured through terminological choices and argue that the context and future-oriented nature of these choices helps to understanding how data-intensive biomedical innovations are made socially meaningful.     

Metazoan parasite assemblages of wild Seriola lalandi (Carangidae) from eastern and southern Australia

Yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi support significant commercial and recreational fisheries as well as aquaculture operations throughout the world. Metazoan parasite infections of S. lalandi are of considerable economic and ecological importance, yet very little is known about wild parasite assemblages. S. lalandi were collected from the east coast and south coast of Australia and examined for metazoan parasites. Forty-three parasite taxa were identified, including 26 new host records. Four of the parasite species recovered have been previously associated with disease or mortality in Seriola aquaculture. Comparisons are made between ectoparasite and endoparasite prevalence and intensity of S. lalandi from New South Wales and Victoria. S. lalandi sampled from the east coast of Australia shared ectoparasites previously documented from this species in New Zealand, providing support that S. lalandi in the Tasman Sea comprise a single stock. Based on previously used criteria to evaluate the suitability of parasites as biological tags, the monogenean Paramicrocotyloides reticularis Rohde and the copepod Parabrachiella seriolae Yamaguti and Yamasu may be potentially useful for stock discrimination.     

Sarcocystosis

Sarcocystis infections of animals are commonplace and of worldwide distribution. Some species can be severely pathogenic to farm animals, causing anorexia, weight-loss, abortion and even death. But perhaps because sarcocysts are so common they have frequently been regarded as innocuous. Even in the USA and UK, many cases of abortion in farm animals go undiagnosed, and it is only now that sarcocystosis is being implicated as potentially of economic importance to the farm industry. In many cases however, the major effect is likely to be subclinical, seen in farm animals only as a reduction in liveweight gain. As this review shows, the history of research on Sarcocystis has been marked by confusion and neglect, although enormous progress has been made in the last decade. But until their economic importance is fully recognized, these widespread infections seem likely to continue unchallenged.