Demography, Breeding Biology and Predation of Willow Ptarmigan at Anderson River Delta, Northwest Territories

Observations on the willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus albus) were made during the breeding season from 1958 to 1985 at the Anderson River delta, N.W.T. Numbers of territorial males on a 65 ha study area have fluctuated between 7 and 28 over this time, with numbers peaking in 1961-62, 1969 and 1980. Peaks in ptarmigan numbers appear to be fairly synchronous over a large geographical area. Large flocks of males were observed in some years. In 1978, these males, mainly yearlings, had similar wing lengths to, but weighed slightly more than territorial males. There appeared to be shortage of hens in 1978, possibly caused by differential mortality during the winter. Mean clutch size ranged from 8.7 to 10.4 and mean number of fledged chicks per brood ranged from 6.3 to 6.9. Within North America clutch size of willow ptarmigan does not appear to increase with increasing latitude. As in other localities, raptors and foxes appeared to be the main predators of ptarmigan. More males than females were killed on the breeding area, but this could have been because more males were present.Key words: willow ptarmigan, Northwest Territories, breeding, clutch size, demography, predationMots clés: lagopède des saules, Territoires du Nord-Ouest, nidification, taille de la couvée, démographie, prédatio

Returning to Ulysses: The Need for Ireland\u27s Higher Education Institutions to Re-imagine the Provision of Entrepreneurship Education

This paper is a detailed analysis of entrepreneurship education in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on the island of Ireland based on a survey of all twenty-six institutions. The paper examines the number and types of courses and activities currently being offered to students and concludes that the vast majority of the existing provision is quite traditional in its approach. It is further argued that entrepreneurship education needs to be re-imagined if it is to meet the needs of Ireland’s current economic and social challenges, and that educators should seek inspiration from some of the island’s most creative artists from its rich artistic culture. The efforts to promote entrepreneurship amongst young people on the island of Ireland have become increasingly active over the past fifteen years. According to Hynes (1996) the increased interest in entrepreneurship education and training can also be attributed to the changing structure of the Western economy, the trend in downsizing in large companies, changing business patterns, and developing market economies in other parts of the globe. This paper seeks to examine what has altered in the intervening period, particularly given the background of the devastating economic recession that has hit Ireland, plus the new wave of emigration that has become an increasingly popular choice being made by the younger generation in search of secure employment. These new challenges require newly crafted solutions and entrepreneurship education has a significant role to play in any renewed economy

Optical nulling apparatus and method for testing an optical surface

An optical nulling apparatus for testing an optical surface includes an aspheric mirror having a reflecting surface for imaging light near or onto the optical surface under test, where the aspheric mirror is configured to reduce spherical aberration of the optical surface under test. The apparatus includes a light source for emitting light toward the aspheric mirror, the light source longitudinally aligned with the aspheric mirror and the optical surface under test. The aspheric mirror is disposed between the light source and the optical surface under test, and the emitted light is reflected off the reflecting surface of the aspheric mirror and imaged near or onto the optical surface under test. An optical measuring device is disposed between the light source and the aspheric mirror, where light reflected from the optical surface under test enters the optical measuring device. An imaging mirror is disposed longitudinally between the light source and the aspheric mirror, and the imaging mirror is configured to again reflect light, which is first reflected from the reflecting surface of the aspheric mirror, onto the optical surface under test

Using a Mixed-Method 'Petri-dish' Diagram to determine complex impacts of leadership development in extant entrepreneurs

This chapter outlines a methodological approach for planning and reporting a multi- and mixed-method research where multiple data sources are used to produce findings for multiple audiences

Beyond content and pedagogy: the role of self and place in entrepreneurial leadership development

This chapter is based on evidence from a programme of learning aimed at entrepreneur(ial) learners and identifies three dimensions that need to be taken into account when prescribing pedagogies. The results of this study suggest that the traditional methods of designing course delivery have been oversimplified and as a result fail to recognise and utilise the inherent complexity of the learner. That stance is further developed to suggest that ‘what the learner learns’ can only be influenced, not dictated, by what the teacher teaches and therefore the most efficient method is to provide a diverse menu of learning opportunities that look beyond traditional input and feedback designs and plan for intangible and unintended learning outcomes. These include motivation, inspiration, increases in confidence and behavioural changes. This is particularly relevant when considering how best to deliver learning to entrepreneurs in an attempt to improve economic performance in the SME economy

The Role of Entrepreneurial Leadership in City Region Economies: A Case of Developing Small Firm Leaders

Entrepreneurs play a key role in any entrepreneurial and dynamic ecosystem, particularly knowledge economies. They drive change and innovation through starting new ventures, growing businesses, and investing in new ideas. The capacity and capability of entrepreneurs to lead people, become employers and develop their ventures affect future success and sustainability.How entrepreneurial actors learn to lead is then central to developing a strong and adaptable ecosystem able to respond to the challenges presented by unpredictable and complex environments. This chapter presents a case study of how a leadership learning programme has been used in Wales to improve the learning of leaders of SMEs and how this has subsequently impacted on the regional economy as a result

A Human Subject Evaluation of Airport Surface Situational Awareness Using Prototypical Flight Deck Electronic Taxi Chart Displays

The advent of Instrument Landing Systems has allowed aircraft to safely takeoff and land in low visibility conditions. However, the lack of a means by which pilots can safely navigate on the ground in poor visibility conditions has been the cause of many runway incursions and several fatal aircraft accidents. Currently flight crews use paper chart depictions of the airport surface and out-the-window visual cues to navigate on the surface. In addition they can be provided some feedback about their position on the surface from ATC. In clear, daylight environmental conditions flight crews can correlate airport features and navigation signs from the out-the-window view with the chart features to maintain airport surface situational awareness. In conditions of fog and darkness however, out-the-window cues are less available and it becomes a difficult task for flight crews to maintain situational awareness. Low visibility conditions also prevent ATC from tracking aircraft position on the airport surface from the tower

Aeroacoustic Study of a High-Fidelity Aircraft Model: Part 1- Steady Aerodynamic Measurements

In this paper, we present steady aerodynamic measurements for an 18% scale model of a Gulfstream air-craft. The high fidelity and highly-instrumented semi-span model was developed to perform detailed aeroacoustic studies of airframe noise associated with main landing gear/flap components and gear-flap interaction noise, as well as to evaluate novel noise reduction concepts. The aeroacoustic tests, being conducted in the NASA Langley Research Center 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel, are split into two entries. The first entry, completed November 2010, was entirely devoted to the detailed mapping of the aerodynamic characteristics of the fabricated model. Flap deflections of 39?, 20?, and 0? with the main landing gear on and off were tested at Mach numbers of 0.16, 0.20, and 0.24. Additionally, for each flap deflection, the model was tested with the tunnel both in the closed-wall and open-wall (jet) modes. During this first entry, global forces (lift and drag) and extensive steady and unsteady surface pressure measurements were obtained. Preliminary analysis of the measured forces indicates that lift, drag, and stall characteristics compare favorably with Gulfstream?s high Reynolds number flight data. The favorable comparison between wind-tunnel and flight data allows the semi-span model to be used as a test bed for developing/evaluating airframe noise reduction concepts under a relevant environment. Moreover, initial comparison of the aerodynamic measurements obtained with the tunnel in the closed- and open-wall configurations shows similar aerodynamic behavior. This permits the acoustic and off-surface flow measurements, planned for the second entry, to be conducted with the tunnel in the open-jet mode