Predicting suitable release sites for assisted colonisations: a case study of eastern barred bandicoots

Assisted colonisations are increasingly being used to recover endangered or functionally extinct species. High quality habitat at release sites is known to improve the success of assisted colonisations, but defining high quality habitat can be challenging when species no longer inhabit their historical range. A partial solution to this problem is to quantify habitat use at release sites, and use results to inform assisted colonisation in the future. In this study, we quantified habitat use by the eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii, functionally extinct on the Australian mainland, immediately after translocation to an island ecosystem. The release site, Churchill Island in Westernport, Victoria, Australia, has a mix of open woodlands and open pasture, providing a range of habitat conditions considered appropriate for nesting and foraging. A total of 16 bandicoots were radio-tracked for 30 d immediately post-release. Early survivorship was high (94%), with males found to have larger home ranges and move greater distances from their first nest than females. Males and females initially used structurally complex habitats for nesting and foraging; as they became more established, males moved further from their release point and both sexes increased their use of open habitats during nightly activity. Female home ranges had limited overlap, suggesting intra-sexual territoriality. Males exhibited larger overlapping home ranges. Our results assist in quantifying habitat use of bandicoots immediately post-release and will be used to inform future assisted colonisations of the species to larger islands, in the presence of feral cats

Повышение эффективности управления финансовыми потоками в логистической системе предприятия

Материалы XVI Междунар. науч.-техн. конф. студентов, аспирантов и молодых ученых, Гомель, 28–29 апр. 2016 г

Champions, converts, doubters, and defectors: the impact of shifting perceptions on momentum for change

Maintaining momentum is a key influence on the ultimate success of large-scale change. In this paper, we develop theory to explain how stable vs. shifting change-supportive perceptions over time differentially influence the perceived momentum associated with goal-directed change (i.e., change-based momentum). We use cross-level polynomial regression and data obtained early and one year later within an organization implementing a lean manufacturing transformation to model changes in individual perceptions. Results suggest that momentum perceptions are higher for “Champions” (stable and high perceptions over time) as compared to “Converts” (increasing perceptions over time), but momentum perceptions are lower for “Defectors” (decreasing perceptions over time) as compared to “Doubters” (stable and low perceptions over time). We find that even if participants converge upon change-supportive perceptions later in the change process, early divergent perceptions influence subsequent momentum for the change. These findings highlight the important role of temporal shifts in perceptions for organizational change processes

Large herbivores may alter vegetation structure of semi-arid savannas through soil nutrient mediation

In savannas, the tree–grass balance is governed by water, nutrients, fire and herbivory, and their interactions. We studied the hypothesis that herbivores indirectly affect vegetation structure by changing the availability of soil nutrients, which, in turn, alters the competition between trees and grasses. Nine abandoned livestock holding-pen areas (kraals), enriched by dung and urine, were contrasted with nearby control sites in a semi-arid savanna. About 40 years after abandonment, kraal sites still showed high soil concentrations of inorganic N, extractable P, K, Ca and Mg compared to controls. Kraals also had a high plant production potential and offered high quality forage. The intense grazing and high herbivore dung and urine deposition rates in kraals fit the accelerated nutrient cycling model described for fertile systems elsewhere. Data of a concurrent experiment also showed that bush-cleared patches resulted in an increase in impala dung deposition, probably because impala preferred open sites to avoid predation. Kraal sites had very low tree densities compared to control sites, thus the high impala dung deposition rates here may be in part driven by the open structure of kraal sites, which may explain the persistence of nutrients in kraals. Experiments indicated that tree seedlings were increasingly constrained when competing with grasses under fertile conditions, which might explain the low tree recruitment observed in kraals. In conclusion, large herbivores may indirectly keep existing nutrient hotspots such as abandoned kraals structurally open by maintaining a high local soil fertility, which, in turn, constrains woody recruitment in a negative feedback loop. The maintenance of nutrient hotspots such as abandoned kraals by herbivores contributes to the structural heterogeneity of nutrient-poor savanna vegetation

Nitrogen and Carbon Isotopic Dynamics of Subarctic Soils and Plants in Southern Yukon Territory and its Implications for Paleoecological and Paleodietary Studies

We examine here the carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of bulk soils (8 topsoil and 7 subsoils, including two soil profiles) and five different plant parts of 79 C3 plants from two main functional groups: herbs and shrubs/subshrubs, from 18 different locations in grasslands of southern Yukon Territory, Canada (eastern shoreline of Kluane Lake and Whitehorse area). The Kluane Lake region in particular has been identified previously as an analogue for Late Pleistocene eastern Beringia. All topsoils have higher average total nitrogen δ15N and organic carbon δ13C than plants from the same sites with a positive shift occurring with depth in two soil profiles analyzed. All plants analyzed have an average whole plant δ13C of −27.5 ± 1.2 ‰ and foliar δ13C of ±28.0 ± 1.3 ‰, and average whole plant δ15N of −0.3 ± 2.2 ‰ and foliar δ15N of ±0.6 ± 2.7 ‰. Plants analyzed here showed relatively smaller variability in δ13C than δ15N. Their average δ13C after suitable corrections for the Suess effect should be suitable as baseline for interpreting diets of Late Pleistocene herbivores that lived in eastern Beringia. Water availability, nitrogen availability, spacial differences and intra-plant variability are important controls on δ15N of herbaceous plants in the study area. The wider range of δ15N, the more numerous factors that affect nitrogen isotopic composition and their likely differences in the past, however, limit use of the modern N isotopic baseline for vegetation in paleodietary models for such ecosystems. That said, the positive correlation between foliar δ15N and N content shown for the modern plants could support use of plant δ15N as an index for plant N content and therefore forage quality. The modern N isotopic baseline cannot be applied directly to the past, but it is prerequisite to future efforts to detect shifts in N cycling and forage quality since the Late Pleistocene through comparison with fossil plants from the same region

Modeling of Human Prokineticin Receptors: Interactions with Novel Small-Molecule Binders and Potential Off-Target Drugs

The Prokineticin receptor (PKR) 1 and 2 subtypes are novel members of family A GPCRs, which exhibit an unusually high degree of sequence similarity. Prokineticins (PKs), their cognate ligands, are small secreted proteins of ∼80 amino acids; however, non-peptidic low-molecular weight antagonists have also been identified. PKs and their receptors play important roles under various physiological conditions such as maintaining circadian rhythm and pain perception, as well as regulating angiogenesis and modulating immunity. Identifying binding sites for known antagonists and for additional potential binders will facilitate studying and regulating these novel receptors. Blocking PKRs may serve as a therapeutic tool for various diseases, including acute pain, inflammation and cancer.Ligand-based pharmacophore models were derived from known antagonists, and virtual screening performed on the DrugBank dataset identified potential human PKR (hPKR) ligands with novel scaffolds. Interestingly, these included several HIV protease inhibitors for which endothelial cell dysfunction is a documented side effect. Our results suggest that the side effects might be due to inhibition of the PKR signaling pathway. Docking of known binders to a 3D homology model of hPKR1 is in agreement with the well-established canonical TM-bundle binding site of family A GPCRs. Furthermore, the docking results highlight residues that may form specific contacts with the ligands. These contacts provide structural explanation for the importance of several chemical features that were obtained from the structure-activity analysis of known binders. With the exception of a single loop residue that might be perused in the future for obtaining subtype-specific regulation, the results suggest an identical TM-bundle binding site for hPKR1 and hPKR2. In addition, analysis of the intracellular regions highlights variable regions that may provide subtype specificity

Organizational effectiveness and quality of work life

Inaugural lecture--Department of Industrial Psychology, Rand Afrikaans University, 21 September 1982It is of the utmost importance in South Africa today to create organizations which are effective and which simultaneously provide circumstances for employees in order to experience a high quality of work life. Organizational effectiveness comprises more than mere productivity. Productivity primarily refers to an organization's outputs whilst effectiveness encompasses the output/input ratio, that is outputs weighed against availability of resources, wasting of resources -including the manpower resource as well as stress placed upon employees. It is increasingly being required from personnel practitioners, trainers, labour relations experts, and consultants from the personnel consulting business to give clear evidence of their contributions to organizational effectiveness. The danger always exists that organizational effectiveness could be overemphasized at the cost of important, more humanistic considerations. Although we have sufficient proof today that job satisfaction does not lead to improved job performance, we do know that job satisfaction is related to mental health and even sosio-political attitudes of workers. Evidence exists that quality of work life, which is primarily determined by an employee's job satisfaction, is a more valid indicator of longevity than even a comprehensive medical diagnosis. Indications also exist that employees' negative attitudes and insufficient managerial interest in their quality of work life are precursors of declining future economic performance of organizations. The result of this is that a strong movement exists, especially noticeable in the USA, which is advocating that organizations should be forced by legislation to publish information on the quality of work life which their employees enjoy. The creation of functionally effective organizations in South Africa, which provide for the needs of society and simultaneously guarantee an acceptable quality of work life to employees, are challenges which are going to require much effort from behavioral scientists and especially industrial psychologists, in the near future. To achieve this in a rapidly changing South African environment, the development of approaches and techniques to diagnose and improve organizational effectiveness and quality of work life, is a prerequisite. The flourishing personnel consultancy business in South Africa should be carefully scrutinised. Although there are many of these consultancies providing professional services above reproach, there is a number which market especially management and organizational development packages, which do not fit South African organizations and conditions and which are implemented by insufficiently trained consultants. These consultants are very seldom in a position to give proof of the effectiveness of their consulting efforts, as very little research work is undertaken by them to evaluate the effectiveness of their programmes and techniques.The fact that the personnel consultancy business is so active in this country indicates the serious need for professional knowledge on manpower and labour problems such as organizational effectiveness and quality of work life. To provide in these and other needs, the training of industrial psychologists at universities should be directed much more at basic skills-training, for example human relations and conflict management skills. This, together with in-depth attention to specified topics and practical training in organizations, will provide manpower and labour experts capable of adapting to the specific demands of a great variety of South African organizations. Multi-disciplinary research in which the knowledge and skills of industrial psychologists, economists, business economists, industrial engineers, anthropologists and political scientists are pooled, will provide a scientific justifiable basis to address the labour-and manpower problems in South Africa

Onderpresterende bestuurders in senior bestuursposte

Underachievement of managers in senior management positions: There are indications that some individuals who reach top management positions in large South African organisations, are unsuccessful in these positions. This study is aimed at determining the reasons for this phenomena. Information obtained from top executives and from individuals who are regarded as unsuccessful in top management positions, indicate that important differences, do exsist in regard to role requirements and expectations and thus require different characteristics from incumbents to perform successfully in top management positions. The implications of these findings are discussed. Opsomming Daar bestaan aanduidings dat van die individue wat topbestuursposte bereik in groot Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings faal in die poste. In hierdie ondersoek word gepoog om die redes hiervoor te bepaal. Inligting ingesamel by bedryfsleiers en persone wat deur bedryfsleiers gesien word as mislukkings in topbestuursposte,dui op die bestaan van verskille in rolvereistes en verwagtinge gestel aan topbestuurders en bestuurders op laer vlakke, wat dan verskillende eienskappe van bekleers verg. Hierdie vereiste eienskappe blyk belangrike redes te wees waarom persone wat suksesvol was in hoërvlak middelbestuursposte faal in topbestuursposte. Implikasies van die bevindinge word bespreek

Survey-guided Development

Daar is reeds heelwat sukses behaal met die organisasieontwikkelingsbenadering bekend as Opname Gebaseerde Terugvoer (OGT). In hierdie artikel word onder meer die volgende kenmerke van OGT bespreek: die mate waartoe die benadering voldoen aan gestelde vereistes vir suksesvolle organisasieontwikkeling, hoe OGT verskil van die ander belangrikste organisasieontwikkelingsbenadering naamlik laboratorium- of sensitiwiteitsopleiding, die belangrikste stappe van 'n OGT-program, die voordele en waarde van die benadering en aanduidings van moontlike verdere navorsing wat daartoe kan bydra om die doeltreffendheid van Opname Gebaseerde Terugvoer te verhoog