109 research outputs found
Reduced breeding success of Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) in relation to persistent organochlorine pollution of aquatic habitats in The Netherlands
Designing for Online Collaborative Consumption: A Study of Sociotechnical Gaps and Social Capital
This study attempts to investigate sociotechnical gaps in online collaborative consumption (OCC) to improve user experience andprovide better design requirements. A new approach is proposed to evaluate usability and sociability of the OCC communities. The formation of social capital within OCC will also be studied to gain insights into design requirements. Due to its features as a community where OCC takes place, ETSY will be the focus of this study
The ontogeny of antipredator behavior: age differences in California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) at multiple stages of rattlesnake encounters
Newborn offspring of animals often exhibit fully functional innate antipredator behaviors, but they may also require learning or further development to acquire appropriate responses. Experience allows offspring to modify responses to specific threats and also leaves them vulnerable during the learning period. However, antipredator behaviors used at one stage of a predator encounter may compensate for deficiencies at another stage, a phenomenon that may reduce the overall risk of young that are vulnerable at one or more stages. Few studies have examined age differences in the effectiveness of antipredator behaviors across multiple stages of a predator encounter. In this study, we examined age differences in the antipredator behaviors of California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) during the detection, interaction, and attack stages of Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) encounters. Using free-ranging squirrels, we examined the ability to detect free-ranging rattlesnakes, snake-directed behaviors after discovery of a snake, and responses to simulated rattlesnake strikes. We found that age was the most important factor in snake detection, with adults being more likely to detect snakes than pups. We also found that adults performed more tail flagging (a predator-deterrent signal) toward snakes and were more likely to investigate a snake’s refuge when interacting with a hidden snake. In field experiments simulating snake strikes, adults exhibited faster reaction times than pups. Our results show that snake detection improves with age and that pups probably avoid rattlesnakes and minimize time spent in close proximity to them to compensate for their reduced reaction times to strikes
’This One’s for VIP Users!’: Participation and Commercial Strategies in Children’s Virtual Worlds
ASSESSING LAND DEGRADATION RISK THROUGH THE LONG-TERM ANALYSIS OF EROSIVITY: A CASE STUDY IN SOUTHERN SPAIN
Health care experiences and perceptions among people with and without disabilities
BACKGROUND: Little is known about healthcare experiences among people with and without disabilities. OBJECTIVE: We sought to explore perceptions of people with and without disabilities related to their healthcare experiences. METHODS: Nineteen persons with and without disabilities participated in one of four focus groups. Focus groups were conducted in the physical world in Milwaukee, WI and in the virtual world in Second Life® with Virtual Ability, a well-established community designed by and for people with a wide range of disabilities. A grounded theory methodology was employed to analyze focus group data. Inclusion of physical and virtual world focus groups enabled people with a wide range of disabilities to participate. RESULTS: While some participants described instances of receiving good care, many discussed numerous barriers. The main themes that emerged in focus groups among both persons with and without disabilities related to their healthcare experiences including poor coordination among providers; difficulties with insurance, finances, transportation and facilities; short duration of visits with physicians; inadequate information provision; feelings of being diminished and deflated; and self-advocacy as a tool. Transportation was a major concern for persons with disabilities influencing mobility. Persons with disabilities described particularly poignant experiences wherein they felt invisible or were viewed as incompetent. CONCLUSIONS: Both persons with and without disabilities experienced challenges in obtaining high quality healthcare. However, persons with disabilities experienced specific challenges often related to their type of disability. Participants stressed the need for improving healthcare coordination and the importance of self-advocacy
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Health care experiences and perceptions among people with and without disabilities
Fission-track ages and correlation of middle and lower pleistocene sequences from Nebraska and New Zealand
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