Repeat and first time visitation in an experience specific context: The Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk.

Communication with the public is a primary consideration in the design of natural area tourist attractions (Manfredo & Bright,1991; Roggenbuck, 1992; Vogt & Stewart, 1998). In a management context, communication is essential in ensuring a relevant and enjoyable experience on the part of the visiting tourists (Magill, 1995). Communication also serves as an important management aid in reminding visitors of appropriate behaviour while ensuring continued visitor interest in the attraction (Moscardo, 1998; Moscardo & Woods,2001). This paper presents the results of a .survey examining motivations and attitudes of repeat and first time visitors to the Tree Top Walk site in the context of the communication strategy used at the site

Impact of trail-side interpretive signs on visitor knowledge

Interpretive signs provide an important tool for enhancing visitor knowledge and understanding during a natural area experience. The Tree Top Walk (TTW) site in Western Australia adopted a minimal approach to interpretive signs to reduce distractions and allow the site to speak for itself. A 1999 pilot visitor survey indicated that many visitors were frustrated at this approach and wanted more signs installed along the walk trails despite the presence of information displays around the visitor kiosk. An interpretive sign trial was carried out in 2001 to assess the impact on visitor knowledge of the natural aspects of the site. While the trail-side interpretive signs provided no additional improvement in visitor knowledge, there appeared to be a positive increase in the perception of the site as providing a learning experience. The addition of trail-side interpretive signs also provided a point of interest for repeat visitors already familiar with the unique experience of the Tree Top Walk

Orbital evolution of a test particle around a black hole: higher-order corrections

We study the orbital evolution of a radiation-damped binary in the extreme mass ratio limit, and the resulting waveforms, to one order beyond what can be obtained using the conservation laws approach. The equations of motion are solved perturbatively in the mass ratio (or the corresponding parameter in the scalar field toy model), using the self force, for quasi-circular orbits around a Schwarzschild black hole. This approach is applied for the scalar model. Higher-order corrections yield a phase shift which, if included, may make gravitational-wave astronomy potentially highly accurate.Comment: 4 pages, 3 Encapsulated PostScript figure

Neuronal Pathways and Synaptic Connexions in the Abdominal Cord of the Crayfish

1. An investigation has been made into the function and distribution of nerve fibres in the abdominal ganglion chain and its roots in the crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, by leading off action potentials from small prepared bundles following sensory stimulation. 2 .The sensory fields belonging to the first and second roots of each abdominal ganglion were determined, and the antero-posterior pathway of sensory fibres within the cord noted. It was found that the primary sensory fibres of the dorsal muscle receptor organs, entering through the second root, send out an anterior branch to the brain and a posterior one to the last ganglion. For most other sensory fibres much shorter intracentral branches are indicated, though some of them extend for two ganglia in the anterior direction and for one posteriorly. All sensory fibres in the connectives run on the same side as they enter. 3. The segmental divisions of the external skeleton and of the nervous system do not coincide, the neural segment slants in a posterior dorsal direction with respect to the skeletal one. 4. For the majority of the interneurones which innervate more than two abdominal segments it has been proved that they synapse with primary sensory fibres in each of the ganglia that these enter. Depending on the segment stimulated with respect to the leading-off position, both ascending and descending impulses are obtained in such interneurones and collision of the impulses has been observed. Some consequences of this type of integration are discussed. 5. For interneurones responding to bilateral or heterolateral stimulation the course of the impulses proved to be of at least two types. In some, cutting the fibre prevents the arrival of impulses except those set up on the side of the cut from which the recording is made. In others, recording from either side of the cut fibre does not exclude any of the sensory fields to which the fibre normally responded. 6. At least one interneurone is present in which all primary sensory fibres from the different segments to whose activity it responds collect in one ganglion

On the falloff of radiated energy in black hole spacetimes

The goal of much research in relativity is to understand gravitational waves generated by a strong-field dynamical spacetime. Quantities of particular interest for many calculations are the Weyl scalar $\psi_4$, which is simply related to the flux of gravitational waves far from the source, and the flux of energy carried to distant observers, $\dot E$. Conservation laws guarantee that, in asympotically flat spacetimes, $\psi_4 \propto 1/r$ and $\dot E \propto 1/r^2$ as $r \to \infty$. Most calculations extract these quantities at some finite extraction radius. An understanding of finite radius corrections to $\psi_4$ and $\dot E$ allows us to more accurately infer their asymptotic values from a computation. In this paper, we show that, if the final state of the system is a black hole, then the leading correction to $\psi_4$ is ${\cal O}(1/r^3)$, and that to the energy flux is ${\cal O}(1/r^4)$ --- not ${\cal O}(1/r^2)$ and ${\cal O}(1/r^3)$ as one might naively guess. Our argument only relies on the behavior of the curvature scalars for black hole spacetimes. Using black hole perturbation theory, we calculate the corrections to the leading falloff, showing that it is quite easy to correct for finite extraction radius effects.Comment: 5 pages, no figures, accepted to Phys. Rev. D. This version corrects several typos and minor errors in the earlier submissio

Construction management contracts: law and practice

The context of construction management (CM) reveals that this method of procurement is as much a management philosophy as a contract structure. It is important to consider legal and contractual issues in this context. The interplay between management and law is complex and often misunderstood. Before considering specific issues, the use of contractual remedies in business agreements is discussed. In addition, the extent to which standardising a form of contract detracts or contributes to the success of projects is also considered. The dearth of judicial decisions, and the lack of a standard form, render it difficult to be specific about legal issues. Therefore, the main discussion of legal issues is centred around a recently completed research project which involved eliciting the views of a cross-section of experienced construction management clients, consultants and trade contractors. These interviews are used as the basis for highlighting some of the most important legal points to consider when setting up CM projects. The interviews revealed that the advantage of CM is the proximity of the client to the trade contractors and the disadvantage is that it depends on a high degree of professionalism and experience; qualities which are unfortunately difficult to find in the UK construction industry