Public consultation report, white-tailed eagle project

The aim of this study was to conduct a public consultation to evaluate public opinion regarding the ecological, economic and social impacts of a proposed white-tailed eagle (WTE) (Haliaeetus albicilla) re-introduction in Cumbria. The consultation was designed to support a licence application from Natural England for a Schedule 9 species by complying with the requirements of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) re-introduction guidelines for social feasibility studies. An anonymised, self-administered questionnaire (n=300) based on a series of attitudinal and classification questions was implemented at six survey sites in North Cumbria, between 16 July 2012 and 02 August 2012, using non-random quota sampling methods. Despite substantial variation in the knowledge base of the participants to the study, support for a Cumbrian WTE re-introduction was widespread and transcended differences in the demographic, geographic and employment profiles of the study cohort. The Cumbrian survey established a broad consensus of opinion that a WTE re-introduction would benefit the environment and bolster the tourist industry. Furthermore the population in Cumbria were unanimous in expressing the sentiment that WTEs would enrich their experience of nature. Despite overarching support for the re-introduction proposal, consideration should be given to the smaller proportion that described genuine concerns or were undecided with regard to a number of issues including the cost of the initiative, the financial impacts on livestock farming and the perceived threats to domestic pets

Stakeholder consultation report, white-tailed eagle project

This report evaluates stakeholder opinion regarding the ecological, economic and social impacts of a proposed white-tailed eagle (WTE) (Haliaeetus albicilla) re-introduction in Cumbria and supports the requirement of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines for re-introductions (2013) for social feasibility studies. As the regulatory body appointed by the government, Natural England has a legal obligation to consider re-introduction proposals of native species listed under schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior representatives from the conservation, field sports, farming and statutory sectors who were selected through the use of purposeful sampling techniques. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts and written statements was performed using the grounded theory-constant comparison method. Despite concerns regarding the impoverishment of habitats and the risks associated with contemporary landscape hazards such as wind farms, the majority of stakeholder groups from the conservation and statutory sectors were convinced that the Cumbrian landscape could meet the ecological needs of a WTE population. However opinions remained divided with regard to the potential impact of such a large raptor on native species in existing ecosystems. Furthermore, conservation representatives held the view that a WTE re-introduction in Cumbria would not upset the natural balance in the landscape. By contrast the field sports and farming sectors cautioned that the balance of nature could only be maintained if mechanisms were devised to control as well as protect Cumbrian WTEs. Regarding the economic case for the proposed re-introduction, there was consensus of opinion across stakeholder sectors that a WTE population would deliver economic benefits on a regional scale, by creating a unique wildlife watching eco-tourism initiative and attracting increased visitor numbers to Cumbria. However stakeholder representatives from the conservation, statutory and field sports sectors cautioned that only certain types of rural business could expect to share the financial rewards of a re-introduction, whereas others such as livestock farmers and commercial shooting interests could pay a cost

The stakeholder debate of pest management through the eyes of a family therapist

The purpose of this study was to examine the conflict within the pest management dialogue through the systemic and postmodern view of a family therapist. The research design and method of analysis was qualitative, more specifically, naturalistic. The stakeholders of pest management were identified through a pilot study and two heterogeneous focus groups were conducted for three sessions. The dialogue was cross-fertilized between groups in addition to reactions from a Reflecting Team of one of the groups. Responses and ideas were also generated and included from a focus group comprised of four corporate executives of a chemical manufacturing corporation. Three themes emerged from the analysis. First, the debate can be broken into three people groups: System, Sustenance and Science. Second, although the term system was widely used, there were severe problems with levels of analysis and logical types within the dialogue. Third, education was the frequent solution offered by all groups as a solution to the conflicted dialogue. The use of family therapy as an epistemological framework of inquiry for innovators and policy-makers was discussed

Audit Firm Industry Specialization as a Differentiation Strategy: Evidence from Fees Charged to Firms Going Public

This paper examines IPO assurance fees to assess the use of industry specialization as a differentiation strategy by audit firms. Theory suggests that as an audit firm’s share of a client industry increases their costs will decrease and their service quality to that industry will increase. In this setting, the impact of industry specialization on fees is indeterminate. We extend existing theory by considering both the supply and the demand for industry specialization. We conclude that the market for audit services is generally price-competitive, suggesting that auditors will be forced to share cost savings with clients. However, when an audit firm is able to differentiate its services from competitors it should be able to earn a modest premium. We test and find support for our conjectures using U.S. IPO audit fee data from 1991 to 1997

Disease and welfare risk assessments for the reintroduction of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) from Sweden to Kielder Forest, Northumberland, UK

This report was completed by a team of veterinary surgeons on behalf of the Lynx UK Trust, to support a licence application for a time limited, scientific trial reintroduction of lynx (Lynx lynx) to the Kielder Forest in Northumberland. The veterinary team has extensive experience of the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of infectious and non-infectious wildlife diseases. Additional information was sourced from the scientific literature using the academic search engines Web of Science and Google Scholar. Expert opinion was sought from an international network of veterinary pathologists, zoo veterinarians, ecologists and epidemiologists with experience of disease monitoring and management in lynx and their prey species. The disease and welfare risk assessment will inform the licensing authorities and the project team of the likelihood of disease associated with the reintroduction trial. Translocation affects host-pathogen communities in the donor and release environments. The primary aim of the risk assessment is to proactively minimize the likelihood of disease in the donor animals, other wildlife, domesticated species and humans, by identifying and assessing the likelihood of disease as a consequence of the reintroduction trial and recommending cost-effective disease mitigation

Back on our map: Duke Of Burgundy surveys, captive rearing and reintroduction methods

This document covers the work Back on Our Map (BOOM) did on the Duke of Burgundy butterfly, including the survey techniques, reintroduction methods and community engagement events. BOOM aimed to engage communities in South Cumbria with their natural environment, by restoring the landscape and reintroducing and reinforcing locally threatened or extinct native species. National Lottery players supported the £2m project, alongside several other public, private and charitable sector organisations. Led by the University of Cumbria, BOOM worked closely in partnership with Morecambe Bay Partnership, and lead partners including Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Natural England and Forestry England. The project restored habitat and reintroduced species across a network of protected areas including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It covered an area of 600km2, extending along the lowlands of Morecambe Bay from Barrow-in-Furness in the west to Arnside and Silverdale in the east and Ambleside in the north (Figure 1.1). BOOM reintroduced and expanded the range of the hazel dormouse, Duke of Burgundy and small blue butterfly, goldilocks aster, great and oblong-leaved sundew, green-winged orchid, maidenhair fern, spiked speedwell, and aspen (table 1.1). A reinforcement of a Duke of Burgundy population was carried out on the Graythwaite Estate. The pine marten community-based feasibility study identified suitable locations for future reintroduction. For the Corncrake, public engagement sound walks raised awareness of the species. Across south Cumbria, the project engaged a wide range of community groups, volunteers and members of the public. Reintroduction-based social activities and training events helped communities get involved with the BOOM species reintroductions

Competition for Andersen\u27s Clients

We examine competition for Andersen’s public clients during and after its failure in 2002. This setting provides a natural experiment to examine audit market dynamics at the local level. We construct a database documenting Big4 purchases of local Andersen offices. After exploring the factors associated with office purchases, we examine the impact of office purchases on public client market share gains and changes in audit fees. We find that three Big4 firms – Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and KPMG – purchased approximately 60% of Andersen’s offices while PricewaterhouseCoopers did not purchase any. The probability that a firm purchased a specific office is greater in markets where the acquiring firm: 1) already had a presence, 2) had a lower ratio of local Andersen clients to the purchaser’s clients, and 3) had already acquired relatively more local former Andersen public clients than other firms prior to the purchase. Our fee analysis expands the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) post-Andersen audit market study by documenting that the former Andersen clients’ change in audit fees is associated with the differences in client acquisition method

Bayesian Statistical Models of Cell-Cycle Progression at Single-Cell and Population Levels

<p>Cell division is a biological process fundamental to all life. One aspect of the process that is still under investigation is whether or not cells in a lineage are correlated in their cell-cycle progression. Data on cell-cycle progression is typically acquired either in lineages of single cells or in synchronized cell populations, and each source of data offers complementary information on cell division. To formally assess dependence in cell-cycle progression, I develop a hierarchical statistical model of single-cell measurements and extend a previously proposed model of population cell division in the budding yeast, <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic>. Both models capture correlation and cell-to-cell heterogeneity in cell-cycle progression, and parameter inference is carried out in a fully Bayesian manner. The single-cell model is fit to three published time-lapse microscopy datasets and the population-based model is fit to simulated data for which the true model is known. Based on posterior inferences and formal model comparisons, the single-cell analysis demonstrates that budding yeast mother and daughter cells do not appear to correlate in their cell-cycle progression in two of the three experimental settings. In contrast, mother cells grown in a less preferred sugar source, glycerol/ethanol, did correlate in their rate of cell division in two successive cell cycles. Population model fitting to simulated data suggested that, under typical synchrony experimental conditions, population-based measurements of the cell-cycle were not informative for correlation in cell-cycle progression or heterogeneity in daughter-specific G1 phase progression.</p>Thesi