Factors influencing the distribution of the yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis australis) in Victoria, Australia

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Rees ◽  
David J. Paull ◽  
Susan M. Carthew

In this study we examine broad-scale factors affecting the distribution of the yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis australis) in the southern Australian state of Victoria. Using the bioclimatic analysis and prediction system, BIOCLIM, and vegetation-suitability mapping, we assessed the potential distribution of the species at the time of European settlement and compared it to the current distribution. BIOCLIM revealed that P. a. australis is most likely to occur in areas with mean annual rainfall >600 mm and mean annual temperature between 6°C and 14.5°C. Much of its current distribution is skewed to the eastern half of the State, and our results emphasise a disjunction between western and eastern Victorian populations that is attributed to unsuitable climate and vegetation for the species. This indicates that P. australis in the west was most likely separated from eastern Victorian P. australis long before European settlement. Our results also indicate that isolated P. australis populations in south-western Victoria represent fragments of what was probably a much more widely distributed population when European settlement took place. Owing to the highly restricted distribution of suitable remnant native vegetation, these westernmost P. australis populations should be a high priority for future research and conservation work.

1971 ◽  
Vol 103 (9) ◽  
pp. 1217-1235 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Hardwick ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch

AbstractIn an attempt to evaluate the importance of physical and biotic factors affecting the distribution of species of the cutworm genus Euxoa, a multivariate regression analysis, as based on a light-trapping survey in western North America, has been conducted. The possible contributory factors have been grouped into four major categories relating to geography, habitat, period of flight, and sample size. Sample size is a composite value reflecting both suitability of habitat and suitability of weather conditions at the time the sample was taken. Geographic factors considered were latitude, altitude, and longitude; habitat factors were mean annual temperature, mean July temperature, mean January temperature, mean annual rainfall and plantform; factors relating to period of flight were calendar date, mean temperature on date of sample, photoperiod, and the phenological date. Except for photoperiod, the variables listed were considered in a quadratic as well as a natural function in the regression analysis. With the number of species of Euxoa as the dependent variable and the factors listed above as the independent variables a total reduction of 76.0% in the residual variance was obtained. When only four variables, sample size, mean annual temperature, mean annual rainfall, and phenological date were employed in a similar regression analysis, however, a reduction of 68.7% in the residual variance was obtained. On the basis of present evidence, it appears that temperature and rainfall are primary factors governing the abundance of species of Euxoa in a given habitat.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 558c-558
Author(s):  
Jennifer B. Neujahr ◽  
Karen L.B. Gast

Consumer behavior research seems to play an big role in determining the wants and needs of an industry. This research helps to shape the way we market to the consumers and helps make marketing strategies more effective. In the 1950s grocery stores began to sell horticulture products in order to alleviate the growers' surplus. Supermarkets now have seem to found their niche in this market due to the fact that they can influence their consumers to buy their flowers right along with their bread, and get all of their shopping done at once. This new type of sale, commonly referred to as the impulse sale, can relate directly to how well the store is merchandised and maintained. A study was conducted at a local supermarket, to determine the following: good locations for impulse sales items, special conditions affecting impulse sales items, and what types of things could affect demand for impulse items. It was discovered that certain locations make better sales than other locations. Locations that were front and center and allowed easy access to seeing the mixed flower bouquet without having to touch it yielded the best results. The variables used to show a change in demand showed little to some variability and has raised some questions which may be used to conduct future research.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willem G Coetzer ◽  
Trudy R Turner ◽  
Christopher A Schmitt ◽  
J Paul Grobler

Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) are one of the most widely distributed non-human primate species found in South Africa. They occur across all the South African provinces, inhabiting a large variety of habitats. These habitats vary sufficiently that it can be assumed that various factors such as pathogen diversity could influence populations in different ways. In turn, these factors could lead to varied levels of selection at specific fitness linked loci. The Toll-like Receptor (TLR) gene family, which play an integral role in vertebrate innate immunity, is a group of fitness linked loci which has been the focus of much research. In this study, we assessed the level of genetic variation at partial sequences of two TLR loci (TLR4 and 7) and a reproductively linked gene, acrosin (ACR), across the different habitat types within the vervet monkey distribution range. Gene variation and selection estimates were also made among 11 – 21 primate species. Low levels of genetic variation for all three gene regions were observed within vervet monkeys , with only two polymorphic sites identified for TLR4, three sites for TLR7 and one site for ACR . TLR7 variation was positively correlated with high mean annual rainfall, which was linked to increased pathogen abundance. The observed genetic variation at TLR4 might have been influenced by numerous factors including pathogens and climatic conditions. The ACR exonic regions showed no variation in vervet monkeys, which could point to the occurrence of a selective sweep. The TLR4 and TLR7 results for the among primate analyses was mostly in line with previous studies, indicating a higher rate of evolution for TLR4. Within primates, ACR also showed signs of positive selection, which was congruent with previous reports on mammals. Important additional information to the already existing vervet monkey knowledge base was gained from this study, which can guide future research projects on this highly researched taxon as well as help conservation agencies with future management planning involving possible translocations of this species.


Check List ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 701-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Brincalepe Salvador ◽  
Barbara Mizumo Tomotani ◽  
Colin Miskelly ◽  
Susan M. Waugh

Callaeidae (wattlebirds) and Notiomystidae (stitchbirds) are New Zealand-endemic sister-taxa; while widespread before human settlement, they subsequently became critically endangered or extinct. Aside from presently managed populations, information about them is scarce and actual specimens even scarcer. Herein, we provide a snapshot of these families’ historical distribution during the critical periods of European settlement and expansion in New Zealand (19th and early-20th centuries), exploring new data and insights resulting from this approach. We include an extensive catalogue of worldwide museum specimens to facilitate future research. We report the last known record/specimen of huia Heteralocha acutirostris (Gould, 1837) and late 19th century specimens of North Island saddleback Philesturnus rufusater (Lesson, 1828) from Cuvier Island that confirm its occurrence there. We failed to find specimens of North Island saddleback and stitchbird Notiomystis cincta (du Bus de Gisignies, 1839) (with one and two exceptions, respectively) from named locations on the mainland.


2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriane L. Baylis ◽  
Benjamin Munson ◽  
Karlind T. Moller

Objective: To examine the influence of speech perception, cognition, and implicit phonological learning on articulation skills of children with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) and children with cleft palate or velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD). Design: Cross-sectional group experimental design. Participants: Eight children with VCFS and five children with nonsyndromic cleft palate or VPD. Methods and Measures: All children participated in a phonetic inventory task, speech perception task, implicit priming nonword repetition task, conversational sample, nonverbal intelligence test, and hearing screening. Speech tasks were scored for percentage of phonemes correctly produced. Group differences and relations among measures were examined using nonparametric statistics. Results: Children in the VCFS group demonstrated significantly poorer articulation skills and lower standard scores of nonverbal intelligence compared with the children with cleft palate or VPD. There were no significant group differences in speech perception skills. For the implicit priming task, both groups of children were more accurate in producing primed nonwords than unprimed nonwords. Nonverbal intelligence and severity of velopharyngeal inadequacy for speech were correlated with articulation skills. Conclusions: In this study, children with VCFS had poorer articulation skills compared with children with cleft palate or VPD. Articulation difficulties seen in the children with VCFS did not appear to be associated with speech perception skills or the ability to learn new phonological representations. Future research should continue to examine relationships between articulation, cognition, and velopharyngeal dysfunction in a larger sample of children with cleft palate and VCFS.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samad M.E. Sepasgozar ◽  
Mohsen Ghobadi ◽  
Sara Shirowzhan ◽  
David J. Edwards ◽  
Elham Delzendeh

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the current technology acceptance model (TAM) in the field of mixed reality and digital twin (MRDT) and identify key factors affecting users' intentions to use MRDT. The factors are used as a set of key metrics for proposing a predictive model for virtual, augmented and mixed reality (MR) acceptance by users. This model is called the extended TAM for MRDT adoption in the architecture, engineering, construction and operations (AECO) industry.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretivist philosophical lens was adopted to conduct an inductive systematic and bibliographical analysis of secondary data contained within published journal articles that focused upon MRDT acceptance modelling. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) approach to meta-analysis were adopted to ensure all key investigations were included in the final database set. Quantity indicators such as path coefficients, factor ranking, Cronbach’s alpha (a) and chi-square (b) test, coupled with content analysis, were used for examining the database constructed. The database included journal papers from 2010 to 2020.FindingsThe extant literature revealed that the most commonly used constructs of the MRDT–TAM included: subjective norm; social influence; perceived ease of use (PEOU); perceived security; perceived enjoyment; satisfaction; perceived usefulness (PU); attitude; and behavioural intention (BI). Using these identified constructs, the general extended TAM for MRDT in the AECO industry is developed. Other important factors such as “perceived immersion” could be added to the obtained model.Research limitations/implicationsThe decision to utilise a new technology is difficult and high risk in the construction project context, due to the complexity of MRDT technologies and dynamic construction environment. The outcome of the decision may affect employee performance, project productivity and on-site safety. The extended acceptance model offers a set of factors that assist managers or practitioners in making effective decisions for utilising any type of MRDT technology.Practical implicationsSeveral constraints are apparent due to the limited investigation of MRDT evaluation matrices and empirical studies. For example, the research only covers technologies which have been reported in the literature, relating to virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), MR, DT and sensors, so newer technologies may not be included. Moreover, the review process could span a longer time period and thus embrace a fuller spectrum of technology development in these different areas.Originality/valueThe research provides a theoretical model for measuring and evaluating MRDT acceptance at the individual level in the AECO context and signposts future research related to MRDT adoption in the AECO industry, as well as providing managerial guidance for progressive AECO professionals who seek to expand their use of MRDT in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). A set of key factors affecting MRDT acceptance is identified which will help innovators to improve their technology to achieve a wider acceptance.


Author(s):  
Erjon Zoto ◽  
Stewart Kowalski ◽  
Christopher Frantz ◽  
Basel Katt ◽  
Edgar Lopez-Rojas

"CyberAIMs stands for Cyber Agents’ Interactive Modeling and Simulation. We designed this tool in order to use it as an educational tool to teach Master students in a Cyber security course. This paper aims to describe the model and explain the design choices behind CyberAIMs in terms of associating them with the emerging concepts within cyber security curriculum, namely adversarial and systems thinking. The preliminary results indicate that the current distribution of values and entities allows most of the defense agents to avoid losing all their resources to their attack counterparts. We intend to use this tool as part of a lab with students in Information Security and further extend our target users, by including others who need training in adversarial and systems thinking. We conclude by providing rough results from running simulations with the tool and giving further directions of our future research, in order to improve the usability and level of detail for this tool."


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 438-477
Author(s):  
Bryan R Early ◽  
Menevis Cilizoglu

Abstract Policymakers employ economic sanctions to deal with a wide range of international challenges, making them an indispensable foreign policy tool. While scholarship on sanctions has tended to focus on the factors affecting their success, newer research programs have emerged that explore the reasons for why sanctions are threatened and initiated, the ways they are designed and enforced, and their consequences. This scholarship has yielded a wealth of new insights into how economic sanctions work, but most of those insights are based on sanctions observations from the 20th Century. The ways that policymakers employ sanctions have fundamentally changed over the past two decades, though, raising concerns about whether historically derived insights are still relevant to contemporary sanctions policies. In this forum, the contributors discuss the scholarly and policy-relevant insights of existing research on sanctions and then explore what gaps remain in our knowledge and new trends in sanctions policymaking. This forum will inform readers on the state of the art in sanctions research and propose avenues for future research.


Author(s):  
Jari Salo

Companies engage in many business relationships; however, the number is decreasing constantly, so existing relationships are increasingly valuable. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight how inter-organizational relationships can be seen as a source of competitive advantage and how, in order to survive in a hyper-competitive landscape, key relationships are integrated with new information technology solutions, such as ERP. This chapter focuses on the changes brought about by technology integration in the context of the steel industry with the help of a longitudinal case study. The chapter sheds some light on factors affecting the changes occurring in business relationships and illustrates how those alterations can be managed. It seems that information technology integration within a business relationship is a complex process that depends on characteristics of the adopted technology as well as the relationship. Subsequently, implications are discussed together with suggestions for future research. Lastly, the limitations are briefly stated.


Author(s):  
Princely Ifinedo

The use of information communication technologies (ICT) especially the Internet by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is on the increase in many regions of the world, including Africa. Nevertheless, empirical evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regarding the factors that affect the adoption of e-business is scarce. In that regard, the main objective of this chapter is to fill the research gap with an exploratory study that is aimed at eliciting views from SMEs in Nigeria. This article made use of a theoretical framework encompassing organizational, external and technological contexts to deliberate the issue. A survey is conducted in three Nigerian cities and the findings of the study are presented. The implication of the study is discussed and future research directions also given.


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