Asia-Pacific zoos in the 21st century : stakeholder perceptions of the roles and functions of zoos : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Management at Massey University, New Zealand

The advent of the anthropocene accentuates the transformation of ecosystems on a global scale. This study responds to these concerns by assessing the role and function of 21st century zoos in general and the Asia-Pacific zoos in particular. The lack of information on key zoo stakeholders (visitors, staff members, corporate sponsors and zoo associates) is significant in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Asia, where there are complexities that may stem from cultural and societal differences. Furthermore, current literature is predominantly based upon Western research and case studies, which rarely take into account the complexities and differences of Asia. This research considers the diversity of the Asia-Pacific region by examining the perceptions and attitudes of the four groups of key stakeholders. Zoos in six countries across the Asia-Pacific were visited over a period of six months to March 2013 in order to assess the diversity of the study region. A literature survey and meta-analysis of 138 zoo-based publications was employed to create a matrix table of themes, stakeholders, and research outcomes. These results were used to design survey instruments directed at stakeholder groups as well as provide a framework against which the results of this study can be compared and contrasted. Quantitative analysis such as Principal Component Analysis, Spearman’s Rho and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to analyse the results. The face-to-face and computer-based instruments were augmented with the use of a reflective diary and personal work experience to triangulate and validate the research results. The results show that individual zoos across the world are facing similar challenges. Differences in educational backgrounds and socio-cultural norms within the Asia- Pacific region are reflected in stakeholders’ experiences, perceptions, and evaluations of zoos. The results show that there are many differences amongst Asia-Pacific zoo practices, visitor satisfaction, and stakeholder participation and these differences would make it extremely difficult to coordinate activities at a regional level to give them a single voice with a single agenda

The malleability behind terms referring to common professional roles : the current meaning of ?boss? in British newspapers

L'objectiu de la present recerca és abordar la variació i ductilitat de conceptes aparentment clars i inequívocs relacionats amb els rols professionals habituals. L'estudi se centra en les estructures semàntiques, i subsegüents models cognitius, associats amb el terme 'boss', tal com són expressats i transmesos en l'actualitat a través dels grans mitjans de comunicació britànics. L'anàlisi lingüística, qualitatiu i quantitatiu, d'un corpus significatiu de textos en els quals apareix aquest terme mostra clares diferències en el seu significat, depenent de factors clau com l'orientació sociopolítica i ideològica de la plataforma de publicació

ROLES Y REGISTROS EN LA INTERACCIÓN EN LOS FOROS DIGITALES: DESARROLLO DE UN ENFOQUE BASADO EN INDENTIDADES COMUNICATIVAS PARA EL ESTUDIO DE LA VARIACIÓN DE REGISTRO

El presente artículo estudia cómo los roles y registros comunicativos se expresan de forma interdependiente, influenciándose mutuamente en los actuales foros digitales. En la primera parte, y a partir de la combinación de estudios previos sobre variación de registros comunicativos, la teoría de la identidad social y la lingüística cognitiva, se proponen tres nuevos conceptos para el análisis discursivo: ‘Rol Modulador de Registro’ (RMR), ‘brújula del registro’ y ‘registro-pivote’. La forma en la que funcionan en el discurso digital se ilustra en la segunda parte, con el análisis de un corpus de foros de discusión. Los resultados demuestran que cada perfil de foro despliega una gama diferente de RMR, junto con sus registros asociados, y que todos ellos tienden a emerger y alternar alrededor de un registropivote prominente. En nuestro corpus se identifican tres claros registros-pivote con sus rasgos lingüísticos distintivos. El estudio sustenta la estrecha relación entre identidades relacionales o roles comunicativos y registros lingüísticos en el discurso digital y facilita herramientas discursivas para el análisis, la comprensión y el uso de la variación del registro en la interacción actual a través de internet

The level of context dependence of engagement markers in Peninsular Spanish and US business websites

This paper examines the impact of Spaniards’ and North-Americans’ level of context dependence (Hall, 1976) on the engagement markers (Hyland & Tse, 2004) used on the presentation page of 100 business websites from the toy sector (50 from Spain and 50 from the US). Following an observational and a quantitative analysis, the findings reveal remarkable statistical differences in the interactional discourse of this digital genre, which may be a valuable source of information for export companies to introduce their products abroad by means of their business websites. In addition, we believe that the business website can be used in the teaching and learning of Spanish and English for professional purposes, with a special focus on the way interactional discourse is produced and interpreted in this digital genre cross-culturally

Lichen planus and hepatitis C virus infection

Producción CientíficaThe association of lichen planus (LP) with liver diseases is well established. The reported prevalence rates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in patients with LP tend to appear quite variable. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of HCV antibodies in a group of patients with LP and evaluate the clinical characteristics of the subgroup with LP associated with HCV.2015-09-0

Terminología árabe en torno al género y la sexualidad: el caso de Túnez

Tras la conocida como Revolución del Jazmín en Túnez, único país donde la Primavera Árabe ha abierto el camino a la democracia, han salido nuevos temas al debate público. Temas que, durante los regímenes anteriores habían sido tabú para legitimar su poder. Asimismo, la influencia de las tradiciones en una sociedad conservadora también influyen en mantener ciertos temas en la sombra, como es el de la sexualidad. La reciente revolución ha otorgado a los tunecinos más libertades, algo que se refleja en los términos empleados, cada vez con menos pudor, después de la revolución