The mammals of Angola

Scientific investigations on the mammals of Angola started over 150 years ago, but information remains scarce and scattered, with only one recent published account. Here we provide a synthesis of the mammals of Angola based on a thorough survey of primary and grey literature, as well as recent unpublished records. We present a short history of mammal research, and provide brief information on each species known to occur in the country. Particular attention is given to endemic and near endemic species. We also provide a zoogeographic outline and information on the conservation of Angolan mammals. We found confirmed records for 291 native species, most of which from the orders Rodentia (85), Chiroptera (73), Carnivora (39), and Cetartiodactyla (33). There is a large number of endemic and near endemic species, most of which are rodents or bats. The large diversity of species is favoured by the wide range of habitats with contrasting environmental conditions, while endemism tends to be associated with unique physiographic settings such as the Angolan Escarpment. The mammal fauna of Angola includes 2 Critically Endangered, 2 Endangered, 11 Vulnerable, and 14 Near-Threatened species at the global scale. There are also 12 data deficient species, most of which are endemics or near endemics to the countryinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Neighborhood design and walking trips in ten US metropolitan areas

BACKGROUND: Despite substantial evidence for neighborhood characteristics correlating with walking, so far there has been limited attention to possible practical implications for neighborhood design. This study investigates to what extent design guidelines are likely to stimulate walking. METHODS: Four of the New Urbanism Smart Scorecard criteria and two other measures were tested for their influence on walking. Data were obtained from the 1995 National Personal Transportation Survey, U.S. Census 2000, and InfoUSA. Propensity-score methodology was used to control for potential confounders. RESULTS: Higher levels of business diversity and higher percentages of four-way intersections were associated with more walking. For example, the odds ratio (OR) for walking in a neighborhood with 4 business types present compared to 3 business types was 1.24 (CI 1.07–1.44) and neighborhoods with 50%–74% four-way intersections had an OR for walking of 1.4 (CI 1.09–1.78) relative to those with 25%–49% four-way intersections. The effects of housing density on walking are mixed. Higher parking pressure and older median housing age did not significantly affect walking after covariate adjustment. Block length did not appear to be associated with walking. CONCLUSION: When considering the New Urbanism Smart Scorecard from the perspective walking, some, but not all, of its criteria that appear to have a correlation with walking are likely to be useful for designing walkable communities

Impact of personalized feedback:The case of coaching and learning change plans

This chapter describes an empirically derived model for impactful feedback discussions. The R2C2 model has four phases: Educators build the relationship (R) between educator and learner, gain learner reactions (R) to the feedback which can be used to determine the potential for change and development, and explore and ensure a mutual understanding of the content (C) in order to coach for change (C) to co-create achievable learning change plans that can be monitored to ensure learner progress. Two mechanisms in particular, coaching and learning change plans, support learner acceptance and use of the feedback. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future application and research in health professions education and higher education