2,589 research outputs found
A critical review of the Mediterranean sea turtle rescue network: a web looking for a weaver
A key issue in conservation biology is recognizing and bridging the gap between scientific results and
specific action. We examine sea turtles—charismatic yet endangered flagship species—in the Mediterranean,
a sea with historically high levels of exploitation and 22 coastal nations. We take sea turtle rescue
facilities as a visible measure for implemented conservation action. Our study yielded 34 confirmed sea
turtle rescue centers, 8 first-aid stations, and 7 informal rescue institutions currently in operation. Juxtaposing
these facilities to known sea turtle distribution and threat hotspots reveals a clear disconnect.
Only 14 of the 22 coastal countries had centers, with clear gaps in the Middle East and Africa. Moreover,
the information flow between centers is apparently limited. The populations of the two species nesting
in the Mediterranean, the loggerhead Caretta caretta and the green turtle Chelonia mydas, are far below
historical levels and face a range of anthropogenic threats at sea and on land. Sea turtle rescue centers are
acknowledged to reduce mortality in bycatch hotspots, provide a wealth of scientific data, and raise public
awareness. The proposal for a Mediterranean-wide rescue network as published by the Regional Activity
Centre for Specially Protected Areas a decade ago has not materialized in its envisioned scope. We discuss
the efficiency, gaps, and needs for a rescue network and call for establishing additional rescue centers
and an accompanying common online database to connect existing centers. This would provide better
information on the number and types of rescue facilities on a Mediterranean scale, improve communication
between these facilities, enhance standardization of procedures, yield large-scale data on the number
of treated turtles and their injuries, and thus provide valuable input for targeted conservation measures
Conservation Analysis of Functional Important Residues of the Oxygen Evolving Mechanism Located in the D1 Subunit of Photosystem II
Product recognition in store shelves as a sub-graph isomorphism problem
The arrangement of products in store shelves is carefully planned to maximize
sales and keep customers happy. However, verifying compliance of real shelves
to the ideal layout is a costly task routinely performed by the store
personnel. In this paper, we propose a computer vision pipeline to recognize
products on shelves and verify compliance to the planned layout. We deploy
local invariant features together with a novel formulation of the product
recognition problem as a sub-graph isomorphism between the items appearing in
the given image and the ideal layout. This allows for auto-localizing the given
image within the aisle or store and improving recognition dramatically.Comment: Slightly extended version of the paper accepted at ICIAP 2017. More
information @project_page -->
http://vision.disi.unibo.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111&catid=7
The impact of corporate philanthropy on reputation for corporate social performance
This study seeks to examine the mechanisms by which a corporation’s use of philanthropy affects its reputation for corporate social performance (CSP), which the authors conceive of as consisting of two dimensions: CSP awareness and CSP perception. Using signal detection theory (SDT), the authors model signal amplitude (the amount contributed), dispersion (number of areas supported), and consistency (presence of a corporate foundation) on CSP awareness and perception. Overall, this study finds that characteristics of firms' portfolio of philanthropic activities are a greater predictor of CSP awareness than of CSP perception. Awareness increases with signal amplitude, dispersion, and consistency. CSP perception is driven by awareness and corporate reputation. The authors’ contention that corporate philanthropy is a complex variable is upheld, as we find that CSP signal characteristics influence CSP awareness and perception independently and asymmetrically. The authors conclude by proposing avenues for future research
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Wintertime Transport of Reactive Trace Gases From East Asia Into the Deep Tropics
The Ni(n,) cross section measured with DANCE
The neutron capture cross section of the s-process branch nucleus Ni
affects the abundances of other nuclei in its region, especially Cu and
Zn. In order to determine the energy dependent neutron capture cross
section in the astrophysical energy region, an experiment at the Los Alamos
National Laboratory has been performed using the calorimetric 4 BaF
array DANCE. The (n,) cross section of Ni has been determined
relative to the well known Au standard with uncertainties below 15%.
Various Ni resonances have been identified based on the Q-value.
Furthermore, the s-process sensitivity of the new values was analyzed with the
new network calculation tool NETZ.Comment: 11 pages, 13 page
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