2,750 research outputs found
An investigation into the concept of and factors leading to impact creep and its management
This study defines and explores the nature of impact creep within the context of two contrasting case studies. The methods applied in undertaking this study consisted of a literature review and development and distribution of questionnaires to visitors at Monkey Mia and an interview of managers at Monkey Mia and Tree Top Walk. The project considered impact creep relevant to both public and private facility developments.
Impact creep can be defined as a temporal sequence of changes that lead to a site being more developed. These changes confer both negative and positive impacts. Each impact creep situation may be deemed unique according to different tourism situations and attractions.
Both Tree Top Walk and Monkey Mia have a history of increasing visitation which has increased the potential for further impacts. Management has responded accordingly and the resultant actions have reduced negative environmental impacts through site hardening and associated developments. The resultant development in turn appears to have contributed to an increased attractiveness for a wider visitor profile.
At both Monkey Mia and the Tree Top Walk increasing visitor numbers were not an immediate concern. Generally visitors to both sites are predominantly first time visitors on a multi-destination trip. Visitors to these sites are most likely to visit in family groups or with friends of two to four persons, aged in the 25 to 49 year age bracket. In both surveys there were a higher proportion of females to males. At Monkey Mia, the majority of respondents are from overseas and Western Australia with the lowest proportion from interstate. In contrast, at Tree Top Walk, the proportion of overseas, Western Australia and interstate visitors was fairly even. Respondents were most likely to travel to the respective regions in passenger vehicles and generally stay for short visits (less than a week). The main attraction for respondents was the natural area attraction, i.e. dolphins at Monkey Mia and the Tingle forest/Tree Top Walk at the Valley of the Giants.
The Monkey Mia visitor survey was also used to determine if management actions of site hardening detract from the visitor experience and to determine how visitors feel about highly developed sites such as those that contain permanent accommodation facilities and infrastructure. The survey revealed that visitors generally prefer natural landscapes with limited facilities. However, the facilities provided were not seen as being detractive and had no influence on the quality of the visit. Moreover, facilities may be considered as a positive influence because of the convenience they offer.
A major difference between the two case studies is that impact creep has occurred according to different policy directives. Tree Top Walk was developed under a management plan that had clear guidelines. Monkey Mia had no management plan and joint management with the Shire of Shark Bay. When accommodation facilities were developed at Monkey Mia, the Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) recommendations were ignored in favour for economic returns and political pressure. A notable difference between the two sites, therefore, is that Tree Top Walk has no accommodation facility so the visitation period is short, while Monkey Mia has accommodation which means that limiting visitor use is problematic because as many as 600 people stay in the vicinity of the interaction area overnight.
For Tree Top Walk a dispersal strategy in the form of a visitor centre may help to focus attention away from the main attraction during busy periods and during wait times if restrictions are operating due to heavy demand. Because of the potential for increased visitation, crowding, conflicts and reduced visitor satisfaction at Monkey Mia limitations on use may have to be applied. Previous work has shown that use/access restrictions, in the form of a reservation or permit system, may be the best approach
My story, my identity and my relationship with work: sickle cell disorder
This study explored the narratives people living with sickle cell disorder construct to explain how the experience of employment influences their identity and subsequently their quality of life.
Nine individuals with sickle cell disorder were interviewed and gave detailed autobiographical narratives which were transcribed and processed using narratives analysis. Participants were 4 men and 5 women aged between 22 and 60 years.
Participants' passion for their job roles was illustrated by their positive work identities. Earlier experiences were felt to be influential on drive and resilience to work challenges. In the narratives, poor understanding of sickle cell disorder by organisations and reduced ability to manage their condition impacted physical health; psychological and emotional wellbeing; social and cultural experiences.
This study has implications for the clinical practice and future research of adults living with sickle cell disorder, contributing to the broadening general understanding of sickle cell disorder
Molecular dynamics as a tool to study heterogeneity in zeolites - Effect of Na cations on diffusion of CO and N in Na-ZSM-5
Zeolites typically contain extra-framework cations to charge-compensate for trivalent Al atom substitutions in the SiO framework. These cations, such as Na, directly interact with quadrupolar guest molecules, such as CO and N, which move through their micropores, causing energetic heterogeneity. To assess the effects of heterogeneity in Na-ZSM-5 on diffusion of CO and N, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are carried out. In silicalite-1, the pure-silicon form of ZSM-5, the self-diffusivity exhibits a monotonic decrease with molecular loading, while the corrected diffusivity shows a relatively constant value. In contrast, the Na cations cause a maximum or a flat profile over molecular loading for the self- and corrected diffusivities of CO at T=200 and 300K, while the cations only have minimal impact on the diffusivity of N. The MD simulations allow us to identify energy basins or sites at which guest molecules spend a relatively long time, and construct a coarse-grained lattice representation for the pore network. Average residence times at these sites are calculated for both species. The trends observed in the residence times correlate to the trends observed in the diffusivity. The residence times for CO at T=200K are long at low loading, but decrease with loading as additional CO molecules compete to stay close to a cation. In contrast, the residence times for N are relatively insensitive to the cations, only mildly increasing near a cation. This difference in behavior can be associated to the quadrupole moments of these molecules
Wildlife tourism, science and actor network theory
Wildlife tourism is an important component of tourism worldwide. However, for many species little is known about the possible impacts from tourist-wildlife interactions. Previous research has identified barriers to such science being undertaken but this science-wildlife tourism interface remains poorly understood. Actor-network theory, with its attention to the actors and relationships that make science possible, was used to describe and analyze the development and decline of scientific research into the effects of tourism on wildlife in the Antarctic region. This study concludes that actor-network theory provides a robust description of the complex role and positioning of science in wildlife tourism, while at the same time suggesting that further attention to actors' relative power and scientists' normative beliefs are essential elements of analysis
Polygraph: Automatically generating signatures for polymorphic worms
It is widely believed that content-signature-based intrusion detection systems (IDSes) are easily evaded by polymorphic worms, which vary their payload on every infection attempt. In this paper, we present Polygraph, a signature generation system that successfully produces signatures that match polymorphic worms. Polygraph generates signatures that consist of multiple disjoint content sub-strings. In doing so, Polygraph leverages our insight that for a real-world exploit to function properly, multiple invariant substrings must often be present in all variants of a payload; these substrings typically correspond to protocol framing, return addresses, and in some cases, poorly obfuscated code. We contribute a definition of the polymorphic signature generation problem; propose classes of signature suited for matching polymorphic worm payloads; and present algorithms for automatic generation of signatures in these classes. Our evaluation of these algorithms on a range of polymorphic worms demonstrates that Polygraph produces signatures for polymorphic worms that exhibit low false negatives and false positives. © 2005 IEEE
Visitor perceptions of captive wildlife tourism in a Western Australian natural setting
Wildlife tourism involves a broad sweep of experiences that includes all of the aspects of the tourism genre with the distinguishing feature of animals as the primary attraction. The uniqueness of Australian wildlife in combination with factors such as remoteness and rarity appear to have provided the ideal context for successful wildlife tourism operations. Barna Mia, located in a large remnant woodland in the central southern wheatbelt of Western Australia, is approximately 165 km southeast of the state's capital, Perth. Dryandra Woodland, the location of Banra Mia consists of a closely grouped and connected cluster of native remnant vegetation blocks. The enclosure is surrounded by electrified, vermin proof fencing to keep feral predators out and the captive fauna in. The results of the visitor survey at Barna Mia suggested the experience provided a great sense of satisfaction amongst respondents. This was both in terms of the overall satisfaction as well as satisfaction with specific parts of the experience. The feeling of being 'in the wild' may have been enhanced by the lack of barriers between visitors and the animals and the absence of constraints on animal movement through the enclosure. Improving the operation of Barna Mia as an attraction in itself and as part of the Dryandra Woodland product may serve to improve its success as an attraction. However, an innately attractive tourism experience cannot work without appropriate integration within the specific wildlife tourism product of Dryandra Woodland, while coordination with tourism on a regional scale is also important
The collapse of tourism and its impact on wildlife tourism destinations
Purpose
To evaluate some of the current discussion about the possible impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on wildlife tourism destinations. There could be either positive and/or negative impacts and this viewpoint provides some reflection on what the future might hold for some if not many wildlife tourism destinations when the global tourism industry resumes.
Design/methodology/approach
A combination of tourism and environmental impact research studies and online resources are used to demonstrate the wildlife tourism-conservation nexus and provide a commentary regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the wildlife tourism system.
Findings
This paper provides a context and viewpoint on the possible implications of post COVID-19 reflection for wildlife tourism operations in the future.
Research limitations/implications
This viewpoint paper captures only a snapshot of rapidly emerging online perspectives but at the same time draws together relevant research that emphasises the importance of wildlife tourism.
Practical implications
This paper enables an appreciation of the implications of not reflecting on the way that tourism and the environment are currently/recently managed and funded. One possibility is that we could arrive at a different baseline that reflects degraded wildlife tourism conditions. If, in a post COVID-19 world, a new awareness of the vulnerability of species and the tourism upon which it is dependent arises, this could open the door for improved tourism management and conservation of species that are of high tourism value.
Social implications
This paper offers a synthesis of views that fosters understanding of the possibility of damage to wildlife tourism resources due to the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 on the global nature-based tourism sector.
Originality/value
The viewpoint proffered in this paper provides scope for a rapid evaluation of the current status of wildlife tourism, its vulnerability and the need to reflect on the industry in a post COVID-19 world
Predation Threat in a Variable Landscape: Connecting Predation Risk to Nesting Success for the Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima macgilivraii)
Predation, the leading cause of nest-failure in birds, not only exists as a direct threat to nesting success, but may exacerbate other sources of nest mortality. Birds inhabiting Atlantic coastal marshes, such as Seaside Sparrows (Ammospiza maritima; hereafter SESP), are experiencing significant and rapid changes to their habitat, particularly sea level rise (SLR) and encroaching urbanization, that may affect the relative influence of nest predation on overall productivity. For SESPs, SLR presents an inherent threat to nest success in its potential to increase the frequency of nest flooding. In addition to this direct threat, the ability of SESPs to adaptively respond to SLR can be constrained by predation pressure. As SESPs elevate their nests to avoid flooding, their nests become more vulnerable to predation. This research aimed to understand the predictability of SESP nest predation in Georgia’s saltmarshes along two major gradients: distance to roads and distance to tidal rivers (rivers ≥ 45m wide), both of which may be attractants for predators in the marsh. In coastal Georgia, USA, I assessed mammalian predator activity, an index for mammalian predator distribution, along the two gradients of interest, and hypothesized that predator activity would be higher close to roads and tidal rivers. Second, I recorded SESP nest predation events and hypothesized that nest predation events would increase with increasing probability of predator presence. Consistent with my hypothesis, predator activity increased close to roads and tidal rivers. However, mammalian predator distribution did not predict the spatial variation in SESP nest predation. Given my findings regarding predator distribution in the saltmarsh, I recommend that management efforts to decrease predator access to SESP habitat focus on road-marsh edges, particularly if they are connected with urban landscapes. Understanding the predictability of mammalian predator distribution equips us with valuable information for crafting conservation strategies for SESPs, such as predator management, that would relax the constraint of nest predation on their ability to respond to the ever-intensifying threat of SLR
In vitro experiments towards a mathematical model of solid tumour treatment by thermosensitive liposomes
Thermosensitive Liposomes (TSLs) are at a crossroads as a delivery platform. Recent attempts at clinical translation have had mixed outcomes. The HEAT and OPTIMA trials, using TSL doxorubicin and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) as a heating modality did not demonstrate improved outcomes compared to RFA alone. In contrast, the TARDOX trial demonstrated for the first time that the delivery of TSL doxorubicin with localised ultrasound-mediated mild hyperthermia of a deep-seated
tumour was safe and feasible, as well as finding elevated levels of intratumoural doxorubicin after heating. Most notably, despite the fact many of the patients had diagnoses which would not ordinarily be expected to respond to doxorubicin therapy, a majority of patients had a localised radiological response following only a single cycle of treatment.
Several key parameters in the TARDOX trial (such as infusion duration, TSL dose, and heating duration) were chosen based on limited prior experimentation and practical considerations associated with an early stage trial. In this thesis, in vitro experiments and computational modelling are used to explore the effect of changing these variables on the likely treatment outcome, with a view to optimising the clinical translation of TSLs.
Three scales associated with the delivery of drug to tumours are identified: the clearance scale, which describes the concentration of drug in the systemic plasma; the delivery scale, which describes the extravasation of drug from the tumour vasculature and its transport through the extracellular space; and the pharmacodynamic scale, describing the cellular uptake and cytotoxic effect of the drug.
In the first chapter, a compartment model is used to demonstrate that literature data (from the delivery and pharmacodynamic scales) can be used to accurately resolve treatment of tumours with TSLs in man, comparing the model outputs to the clinical measurements obtained in the TARDOX trial. An initial optimisation is performed considering only the clearance and pharmacodynamic scales, and a
sensitivity analysis shows that the predicted optimal treatment parameters are robust to fluctuations in parameters, however the predicted intratumoural concentrations do fluctuate more substantially with changing cellular uptake parameters.
The second research chapter therefore focuses on the pharmacodynamic scale, using experiments to quantify the beneficial effects of mild hyperthermia on cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in CT26 cells, and provide improved parameters for the computational treatment model. It is found that the addition of mild hyperthermia results in significant increases in both uptake and cytotoxicity,
with the cells exhibiting increased sensitivity to intracellular doxorubicin (compared to cells treated at normothermic conditions).
Finally, in the third research chapter, the aforementioned experimental data is used in a model which includes spatial heterogeneity (i.e., the delivery scale). It is demonstrated that spatial heterogeneity is not a substantial issue for doxorubicin TSLs, however in treatment with drugs that exhibit more rapid cellular uptake, this may be more limiting.
Overall, the work in this thesis demonstrates that TSLs should be able to bring a clinical benefit to patients, as increased delivery of drug is predicted with TSLs (compared to non-liposomal forms)
- …