2,080 research outputs found
Camel Anatomy; More Than Just a Hump
The one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) is capable of living in extreme, arid environments due to its numerous anatomical adaptations. Its modified features of the muscular system, integument, skeletal system, and several internal organs allow this animal to survive in such harsh environmental conditions. Many of these adaptations allow for conservation of energy and water as well as improvement of locomotion to acquire scarce resources. In this paper we will look more closely at some of these adaptations and determine their function in promoting the survival and reproduction of the one-humped camel in desert environments
View from the top
In conservation circles, Botswana is considered to be one or Africa’s success stories. The governments is stable and has a strong conservation agenda and, particularly in the north, wildlife-based tourism is thriving. Nonetheless, for respected researcher Michael Chase, alarm bells were ringing and, as the results of an intense aerial survey show, there is every reason to be worried
On Types of Certainty: from Buddhism to Islam and Beyond
Studies the threefold hierarchy of certainty, from its origins in Mahāyāna Buddhism, through Islam, to 17th century China. This tripartite scheme may be traced back to the ancient Buddhist scheme of the threefold wisdom as systematized by Vasubandhu of Gandhāra in the 4th-5th centuries CE. Following the advent of Islam in the 8th century, it was combined with Qur\u27anic notions of certainty (al-yaqīn). Initially taken up by early Islamic mystics such as Sahl al-Tustarī and al-Ḥākim al-Tirmiḏī (late 9th-early 10th centuries), the notion of yaqīn was gradually systematized into the three-level hierarchy of “knowledge or science of certainly” (ʿilm al-yaqīn), “essence” (literally “eye”) of certainty (ʿayn al-yaqīn), and “truth or reality of certainty” (ḥaqq al-yaqīn), a hierarchy that bears a distinct resemblance to the Buddhist threefold path of wisdom as discussed by Marc-Henri Deroche. Half a millennium later, this threefold hierarchy of levels of certainty, remotely inspired by Buddhism and integrated into the philosophical Sufism of Ibn ʿArabī and his Persian disciple Jāmī, this complex of ideas may have resurfaced in 17th century China
Status of wildlife populations and land degradation in Botswana’s forest reserves and Chobe district
Elephants Without Borders conducted dry (Sept. 2011) and wet (Mar. 2012) season aerial surveys of elephants and wildlife in the Chobe District of northern Botswana to provide recent information on the status of wildlife numbers and their seasonal distribution. The aerial surveys were commissioned by Elephants Without Borders (EWB) and funded largely by Forest Conservation Botswana. A small fixed wing plane was used to fly a stratified sample survey, with parallel transects over the Chobe Distinct a survey area of about 22560 km2 in extent. It included Chobe National Park (NP), Chobe Forest Reserve (FR), Kasane FR and Extension, Kazuma FR, Sibuyu FR and Maikaelelo FR, and surrounding Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in the Chobe District. The principal objective of this survey was to provide relatively precise and accurate estimates of wildlife in the survey area, using a method, which could be repeated. Secondary objectives included mapping the spatial distribution of elephants and other wildlife, distribution of elephant carcasses, baobab trees and large birds. The methods used were suitable for meeting the survey objectives, repeatability and technically robust. Thus this survey provides a baseline for monitoring future trends in the numbers and spatial distribution of wildlife in Chobe. This report provides the results of these two seasonal surveys, in addition to information on the spatial distribution, and abundance of wildlife and trends of elephant numbers. Maps and tables illustrating the distribution, numbers, density and trends of wildlife species in the survey area are provided
Leadership Development And Support: The Perceived Effects Of A Dialogic Peer Coaching Program
This formative program evaluation examined the perceptions of school-based leaders in a peer dialogic group coaching and discussion program in a larger school district in Western Canada. The pilot program included 14 principals and vice-principals from 12 different elementary or high schools who participated in either a discussion or coaching format to support and develop leadership and communication skills in six biweekly meetings over three months. Qualitative inductive content analysis was used to code and theme the data that resulted from semi-structured interviews and anonymous online surveys. Four main themes emerged from the data, and these themes described key elements of the coaching and discussion program that participants found important to program success. The first themes is Setting the Stage, which alludes to preconditions participants identified as critical to program success. The second is Shared Presence, which described the ways participants showed up to coaching or group discussions and how individuals contributed to group development. The third is Living the Learning, which explores the ways that participants perceived the structures that framed growth and support and how people participated in those structures. The fourth is The Value of Partnership, which describes the effects of the program for both individuals and the school district. This study found that participants perceived numerous elements that deserve careful consideration for program improvement or continuation. The emerging model for the program was an interconnected web of elements, each deserving of attention and important to program success. Whereas the nature of a formative assessment does not provide generalizability or transferability, this study contends that leadership program developers could benefit from a deep knowledge of program elements and an open discussion of expectations and structures going into a school-based administrator leadership and communication development and support program. Key elements include the use of a robust coaching model, having an expert resource, making the program optional and ensuring that the meetings are participant-driven
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Epibenthic Deep-Sea Megafauna of the Northern Gulf of Mexico
In this study, we assessed the bioaccumulation of oil-derived and man-made pollutants in deep-sea epibenthic megafauna from the northern Gulf of Mexico. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (or PAHs) were measured as representatives of oil and emission related pollution. Whereas, polychlorinated biphenyls (or PCBs) were measured as representatives of man-made industrial chemicals. Our results showed overall comparable levels for all pollutants in four separate epibenthic deep-sea megafauna, which included: Actinaria (sea anemones), Pennatulacea (sea pens), Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers), and Crinoidea (sea lilies). The analysis of PAH levels showed greater accumulation for high molecular weight compounds that are also highly lipophilic. However, the analysis of PCBs showed that the levels of two congeners (PCBs 101 and 138) were consistently higher than the rest of the PCBs measured. Our results shed light on a knowledge-gap that exists on assessing the extent to which anthropogenic pollutants may impact the deep-sea environment
International river basin management : a case study of the Okavango River Basin.
Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.This dissertation reviews the principles of International River Basin Management and their
application by the governments of Angola, Botswana and Namibia. The dissertation deals with the
issues popularised by governments, water planners and international agencies that the twenty-first
century's conflicts will be fought over water. Increasingly this concern is being used to justify new
water-supply dams and river diversion projects. This is especially so in arid Southern Africa, the
focus of this dissertation, where numerous major international water transfers are underway and
many more are being planned. While Namibia's growing thirst is a serious problem, the story is more
complicated than just too many basin states putting their straws into one glass. The growing conflicts
over the Okavango's water use raise broader questions about ownership of common resources, and
equity of access to those resources.
Most southern African countries depend on primary natural resources to sustain economies and their
people. The environmental issues are remarkably similar in countries within the region, and the
economic, social and political fortunes of the individual countries are intertwined. Furthermore, the
ways in which resources are being managed are similar and thus cause for common concern. In
general, the ability of countries in the region to achieve sustainable development depends not on
national policies but also on the commitment of neighbours to practice sound environmental
management. This is because activities in one country can easily cause impacts on a neighbour and
possibly result in "downstream" opportunity costs.
This case study of the Okavango River Basin, a river facing prospective developments from riparian
states Angola, Botswana and Namibia, attempts to find sustainable solutions to solving international
resource conflict. In addition to outlining the possible future threats to the Okavango River, this
study proclaims a number of recommendations in the way of declaring alternatives to Namibia's
plans to extract water from the Okavango River. One such recommendation is the encouragement of
Water Demand Management as an alternative to water transfer by Namibia. This management
strategy is aimed at optimising the use of available water rather than developing new or extended
supplies and as a result it has a vital role to play since it contributes to sustainable development rather than over exploitation of limited natural resources. The majority of large rivers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are shared by
three or more countries, and as the region's water resources come under growing development
pressure, the importance of establishing effective national and regional methods and institutions for
sustainably managing these resources will increase greatly. From economic, ecological and human
welfare perspectives, the Okav,ango River Basin is arguably one of the most important transboundary
natural resources (TBNR) in the region. Owing to the basin's remoteness and history of conflict, the
Okavango was spared much of the destructive developments that rivers in the region have suffered.
As a result, the relatively pristine Okavango ecosystem continues to provide significant benefits to
the region much as it has done for centuries. As we approach the new millennium, however, it is
clear that the health of the Okavango River Basin is threatened as riparian states increasingly turn to
the Okavango to support their growing populations and economies
The Use of Drugs in Captive White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus): An Evaluation of Two Common Extra-Label Drug Uses in the Deer Breeding Industry
The white-tailed deer (WTD) breeding and hunting industry is a large and growing industry with an economic impact of over a billion dollars in Texas alone. The increasing number of deer in captive breeding facilities results in increased veterinary drug use on deer. However, drugs can act differently even among similar species so further information on drug use in deer would help managers and veterinarians make more sound decisions when using drugs in deer.
Two examples of novel extra-label drug use in WTD are studied, evaluated, and explained. Tulathromycin is a macrolide antibiotic used commonly to treat livestock, including deer, with bacterial respiratory infections, often delivered subcutaneous (SQ) or intramuscular (IM). Since it is logistically difficult to put hands on a WTD, even in most captive breeding situations, a study was conducted to evaluated tulathromycin as a candidate for remote-delivery dart (RDD) in WTD. Twelve WTD were darted with CO2 powered RDD projectors to administer 2.5 mg/kg of tulathromycin IM. Blood was then collected nine times over 30 days and the serum concentration for each sample was quantified in order to determine the pharmacokinetics of tulathromycin in each deer. Overall tulathromycin was poorly absorbed, reached low mean peak concentrations, had a high bioavailability, and an extremely long elimination half-life. The results indicated that darting with tulathromycin is an unpredictable means of administration and may not reach therapeutic concentrations. Flunixin meglumine (FM), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), was also evaluated for extra-label use in WTD in a case study with 72 WTD in South Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife has seen anecdotal evidence of FM effectively reducing the body temperature of hyperthermic animals during game captures. Three of the deer in the case study became severely hyperthermic and the FM was tested in conjunction with cold water enemas. With over half of the 72 deer being hyperthermic, and three severely hyperthermic, a 100% post 30-day survival is strong evidence of the effect of FM
Preliminary Investigation of the Geometry and Kinematics of the Bangong-Nujiang Suture at the Basu Metamorphic Massif, SE Tibet
There are many uncertainties associated with the development and deformation of the Tibetan Plateau. The Basu Massif, located along the eastern Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone, is an ideal locality to help provide constraints to resolve the geologic evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. The Basu Massif is characterized by high pressure-ultra high pressure (HP-UHP) metamorphic rocks, syn- and post-collisional granites, and a central Upper Paleozoic unit bounded by discontinuous belts of serpentinite. Field data suggests that the carbonates of the central Upper Paleozoic unit, serpentinites, granites and metasedimentary rocks are part of an isoclinally folded shear zone that may have been thrust from the Bangong-Nujiang Suture. New 40Ar/39Ar muscovite thermochronologic data from an augen gneiss, granite gneiss, and pegmatite are reported. The tight ages yielded (ca. 174 Ma) by the three samples are of significance and help resolve the timing of exhumation of the Basu Massif. Thermobarometric data from a retrogressed eclogite, amphibolite, granite, and mylonitic gneiss yield medium to high pressures and high temperatures. Exhumation of the metamorphic rocks would have likely been driven by slab breakoff due to the dominance of the Jurassic age granites in the area. There is no indication that, following the Cenozoic Indo-Asian collision, the Basu Massif behaved ductiley. Instead, our evidence suggests that the Basu Massif moved as a discrete crustal block
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