104 research outputs found
Socioeconomic drivers of illegal bushmeat hunting in a Southern African Savanna
Illegal bushmeat hunting of economically and ecologically valuable wildlife populations is emerging as a threat across African savannas. Due to the cryptic nature of illegal hunting, little information exists on the drivers of the bushmeat industry. Here we report on the socioeconomic drivers identified in a broader investigation into illegal bushmeat hunting in rural villages around a southern African savanna ecosystem, the Okavango Delta, Botswana. We conducted interviews with bushmeat hunters and heads of rural households about hunting activities, rural livelihoods, attitudes towards wildlife, and market characteristics of illegal bushmeat. Using generalized linear models, we identified and investigated a set of independent variables that characterize illegal-hunter households. Results revealed that compared to non-hunter households, illegal hunter households (nâŻ=âŻ119, 25% of the sample) lived in closer proximity to wildlife, were more likely to farm crops, and more often received income from formal employment by at least one household member. Bushmeat hunting was positively correlated with livestock wealth but not associated with household income. Only 11.4% (nâŻ=âŻ44) of non-hunter households reported purchasing bushmeat. Most households (84%) reported incurring costs associated with living near wildlife (e.g., damages to crops or livestock), with no difference between hunter and non-hunter households. Hunters were more likely to say they valued wildlife. We conclude that bushmeat hunting in Botswana is generally supplemental to household core income sources rather than essential for subsistence. We propose two interventions to counter the negative impacts of illegal hunting on the region's lucrative wildlife-based economy: 1) more effective law enforcement that imposes costs for hunting illegally, and 2) development of alternative wildlife-based revenue streams that motivate communities to conserve wildlife.The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations provided the majority of funding for this research under Technical Cooperation Programme project TCP/BOT/3501. The study was also supported by Panthera and the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust. JRBM was supported in part by National Science Foundation Coupled Human and Natural Systems Grant 115057.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon2019-10-01hj2018Zoology and Entomolog
From GHz to mHz: A Multiwavelength Study of the Acoustically Active 14 August 2004 M7.4 Solar Flare
We carried out an electromagnetic acoustic analysis of the solar flare of 14
August 2004 in active region AR10656 from the radio to the hard X-ray spectrum.
The flare was a GOES soft X-ray class M7.4 and produced a detectable sun quake,
confirming earlier inferences that relatively low-energy flares may be able to
generate sun quakes. We introduce the hypothesis that the seismicity of the
active region is closely related to the heights of coronal magnetic loops that
conduct high-energy particles from the flare. In the case of relatively short
magnetic loops, chromospheric evaporation populates the loop interior with
ionized gas relatively rapidly, expediting the scattering of remaining trapped
high-energy electrons into the magnetic loss cone and their rapid precipitation
into the chromosphere. This increases both the intensity and suddenness of the
chromospheric heating, satisfying the basic conditions for an acoustic emission
that penetrates into the solar interior.Comment: Accepted in Solar Physic
Cost calculation and prediction in adult intensive care: A ground-up utilization study
Publisher's copy made available with the permission of the publisherThe ability of various proxy cost measures, including therapeutic activity scores (TISS and Omega) and cumulative daily severity of illness scores, to predict individual ICU patient costs was assessed in a prospective âground-upâ utilization costing study over a six month period in 1991. Daily activity (TISS and Omega scores) and utilization in consecutive admissions to three adult university associated ICUs was recorded by dedicated data collectors. Cost prediction used linear regression with determination (80%) and validation (20%) data sets. The cohort, 1333 patients, had a mean (SD) age 57.5 (19.4) years, (41% female) and admission APACHE III score of 58 (27). ICU length of stay and mortality were 3.9 (6.1) days and 17.6% respectively. Mean total TISS and Omega scores were 117 (157) and 72 (113) respectively. Mean patient costs per ICU episode (1991 6801 (2534, range 95,602. Dominant cost fractions were nursing 43.3% and overheads 16.9%. Inflation adjusted year 2002 (mean) costs were AUS). Total costs in survivors were predicted by Omega score, summed APACHE III score and ICU length of stay; determination R2, 0.91; validation 0.88. Omega was the preferred activity score. Without the Omega score, predictors were age, summed APACHE III score and ICU length of stay; determination R2, 0.73; validation 0.73. In non-survivors, predictors were age and ICU length of stay (plus interaction), and Omega score (determination R2, 0.97; validation 0.91). Patient costs may be predicted by a combination of ICU activity indices and severity scores.J. L. Moran, A. R. Peisach, P. J. Solomon, J. Martinhttp://www.aaic.net.au/Article.asp?D=200403
Video-based Simulations: Considerations for Teaching Students with Developmental Disabilities
The use of video-based multimedia simulations for teaching functional skills to persons with developmental disabilities remains an unexplored application of technology for this group. This article examines the historical literature in this area, and discusses future considerations, design issues, and implications of using multimedia simulations. Implementation issues are presented, and suggestions regarding design, development, and application of multimedia simulations are offered. Considerations address the importance of appropriate role modeling and the combination of video-based simulation and in vivo training to foster generalization and maintenance in the context of transition to the real world.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline
Aging traits and sustainable trophy hunting of African lions
Trophy hunting plays a significant role in wildlife conservation in some contexts in various
parts of the world. Yet excessive hunting is contributing to species declines, especially for
large carnivores. Simulation models suggest that sustainable hunting of African lions may be
achieved by restricting offtakes to males old enough to have reared a cohort of offspring. We
tested and expanded criteria for an age-based approach for sustainably regulating lion
hunting. Using photos of 228 known-age males from ten sites across Africa, we measured
change in ten phenotypic traits with age and found four age classes with distinct
characteristics: 1-2.9 years, 3-4.9 years, 5-6.9 years, and â„7 years. We tested the aging
accuracy of professional hunters and inexperienced observers before and after training on
aging. Before training, hunters accurately aged more lion photos (63%) than inexperienced
observers (48%); after training, both groups improved (67-69%). Hunters overestimated 22%
of lions <5 years as 5-6.9 years (unsustainable) but only 4% of lions <5 years as â„7 years
(sustainable). Due to the lower aging error for males â„7 years, we recommend 7 years as a
practical minimum age for hunting male lions. Results indicate that age-based hunting is
feasible for sustainably managing threatened and economically significant species such as the
lion, but must be guided by rigorous training, strict monitoring of compliance and error, and
conservative quotas. Our study furthermore demonstrates methods for identifying traits to age
individuals, information that is critical for estimating demographic parameters underlying
management and conservation of age-structured species.http://www.elsevier.com/ locate/biocon2017-09-30hb2016Centre for Wildlife ManagementMammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog
Recent Developments in Helioseismic Analysis Methods and Solar Data Assimilation
MR and AS have received funding from the European Research Council under the European Unionâs Seventh Framework Program (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement no. 307117
Advances in Global and Local Helioseismology: an Introductory Review
Helioseismology studies the structure and dynamics of the Sun's interior by
observing oscillations on the surface. These studies provide information about
the physical processes that control the evolution and magnetic activity of the
Sun. In recent years, helioseismology has made substantial progress towards the
understanding of the physics of solar oscillations and the physical processes
inside the Sun, thanks to observational, theoretical and modeling efforts. In
addition to the global seismology of the Sun based on measurements of global
oscillation modes, a new field of local helioseismology, which studies
oscillation travel times and local frequency shifts, has been developed. It is
capable of providing 3D images of the subsurface structures and flows. The
basic principles, recent advances and perspectives of global and local
helioseismology are reviewed in this article.Comment: 86 pages, 46 figures; "Pulsation of the Sun and Stars", Lecture Notes
in Physics, Vol. 832, Rozelot, Jean-Pierre; Neiner, Coralie (Eds.), 201
Broad-scale patterns of body size in squamate reptiles of Europe and North America
Aim To document geographical interspecific patterns of body size of European and North American squamate reptile assemblages and explore the relationship between body size patterns and environmental gradients. Location North America and western Europe. Methods We processed distribution maps for native species of squamate reptiles to document interspecific spatial variation of body size at a grain size of 110 x 110 km. We also examined seven environmental variables linked to four hypotheses possibly influencing body size gradients. We used simple and multiple regression, evaluated using information theory, to identify the set of models best supported by the data. Results Europe is characterized by clear latitudinal trends in body size, whereas geographical variation in body size in North America is complex. There is a consistent association of mean body size with measures of ambient energy in both regions, although lizards increase in size northwards whereas snakes show the opposite pattern. Our best models accounted for almost 60% of the variation in body size of lizards and snakes within Europe, but the proportions of variance explained in North America were less than 20%. Main conclusions Although body size influences the energy balance of thermoregulating ectotherms, inconsistent biogeographical patterns and contrasting associations with energy in lizards and snakes suggest that no single mechanism can explain variation of reptile body size in the northern temperate zone
Measurement of the azimuthal anisotropy of Y(1S) and Y(2S) mesons in PbPb collisions at âNN = 5.02 TeV
The second-order Fourier coefficients (Ï
) characterizing the azimuthal distributions of ΄(1S) and ΄(2S) mesons produced in PbPb collisions at = 5.02 TeV are studied. The ΄mesons are reconstructed in their dimuon decay channel, as measured by the CMS detector. The collected data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 nb. The scalar product method is used to extract the Ï
coefficients of the azimuthal distributions. Results are reported for the rapidity range |y| < 2.4, in the transverse momentum interval 0 < p < 50 GeV/c, and in three centrality ranges of 10â30%, 30â50% and 50â90%. In contrast to the J/Ï mesons, the measured Ï
values for the ΄ mesons are found to be consistent with zero
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