Managing the risk of exotic vertebrate incursions in Australia

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Henderson ◽  
Mary Bomford ◽  
Phillip Cassey
Keyword(s):  
Communication Networks ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Pest Damage ◽  
Global Transport ◽  
Successful Establishment ◽  
Number Of Individuals

Context Biological invasions are a profound contribution to human-induced environmental change. Although intentional introductions of vertebrate species have largely declined, global transport and communication networks continue to increase. As a consequence, more goods are being traded and the type of species being transported has changed, as well as the associated risks. Aims To analyse the frequency, and provide risk assessments, for exotic vertebrate species detected by border and post-border Australian biosecurity agencies in the past decade (1999–2010). Methods We collated detection records by emailing or telephoning representatives from agencies responsible for implementing Australian biosecurity. We calculated the risk of successful establishment (low, moderate, serious, extreme) for 137 identified vertebrate species not currently established in Australia. Generalised linear models were constructed to test whether the frequency of increasing risk of establishment was associated with either differences between vertebrate classes and/or different detection categories. Key results The majority of species detected were reported from illegal keeping. Individual species risk assessments revealed that reptiles were more likely to be of greater risk for future establishment than were birds, mammals or amphibians. Controlling for taxonomy, high-risk species were not involved in larger (i.e. number of individuals) incidents than were lower-risk species. Across years, the number of novel exotic vertebrate species detected ‘at large’ in Australia has significantly increased. Conclusions Several of the species detected by biosecurity agencies have attributes that give them the potential to become pests in Australia. Preventing incursions is by far the most cost-effective way to prevent future pest damage. Implications It is clear that a nationally coordinated framework for data collection and data sharing among agencies is urgently required. We present a minimum framework for the future collection of inter-agency data, necessary to assess and monitor the ongoing risk of vertebrate pest incursions in Australia.

scholarly journals Existence of outsiders as a characteristic of online communication networks

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-447
Author(s):  
TARO TAKAGUCHI ◽  
TAKANORI MAEHARA ◽  
KEN-ICHI KAWARABAYASHI ◽  
MASASHI TOYODA
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Interaction Structure ◽  
Social Networking Services ◽  
The Public ◽  
User Groups ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Node Removal ◽  
Number Of Individuals

AbstractOnline social networking services involve communication activities between large number of individuals over the public Internet and their crawled records are often regarded as proxies of real (i.e., offline) interaction structure. However, structure observed in these records might differ from real counterparts because individuals may behave differently online and non-human accounts may even participate. To understand the difference between online and real social networks, we investigate an empirical communication network between users on Twitter, which is perhaps one of the largest social networking services. We define a network of user pairs that send reciprocal messages. Based on the correlation between degree of adjacent nodes observed in this network, we hypothesize that this network differs from conventional understandings in the sense that there is a small number of distinctive users that we call outsiders. Outsiders do not belong to any user groups but they are connected with different groups, while not being well connected with each other. We identify outsiders by maximizing the degree assortativity coefficient of the network via node removal, thereby confirming that local structural properties of outsiders identified are consistent with our hypothesis. Our findings suggest that the existence of outsiders should be considered when using Twitter communication networks for social network analysis.

scholarly journals Impact of Nitrogen and Potash on the Incidence of Scirpophaga incertulas and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Yield of Rice

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 482-487
Author(s):  
Sitesh Chatterjee ◽  
◽  
Palash Mondal ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Cnaphalocrocis Medinalis ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Scirpophaga Incertulas ◽  
Higher Plant ◽  
Pest Damage ◽  
Pooled Data ◽  
Benefit Cost ◽  
1000 Grain Weight ◽  
Different Doses

The experiment was conducted at Rice Research Station, Chinsurah, West Bengal, India during June-November 2010, 2011 and 2012 to evaluate the different doses of nitrogen and potash fertilizers on the incidence of Scirpophaga incertulas and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis in Swarna (MTU 7029) variety. Among the three straight fertilizers, N was applied at three split doses while P2O5 and K2O were applied basally. Eight treatments with different doses of N:P2O5:K2O viz. 40:40:20, 40:40:40, 80:40:20, 80:40:40, 80:40:60, 120:40:40, 120:40:60 and 0:40:0 were laid out in RCBD with three replications. The observations on dead heart (DH), white ear head (WE) and leaf folded (LF) were noted down. The pooled data of three consecutive years revealed the lowest DH% and WE% in 80:40:40 (3.96% DH and 4.70% WE) while lower LF% was recorded in 80:40:60 (1.75%) and 80:40:40 (2.02%). Percent DH, WE and LF were comparatively higher in both 120:40:60and 120:40:40. However, the treatments supported higher plant height and tillers hill-1, panicles hill-1 and 1000 grain weight which resulted in the highest grain (4926 kg ha-1) and straw (6028 kg ha-1) yield in 120:40:60 followed by the treatment 80:40:60 with 4907 kg ha-1 and 5972 kg ha-1, respectively. The results reflected that higher pest damage due to N at the dose of 120 kg ha-1 could be compensated by K2O @ 60 kg ha-1 which boosted the yield. Based on benefit-cost ratios, the treatments 80:40:40 and 80:40:60 proved cost effective.

Disturbance impacts on large rain-forest vertebrates differ with edge type and regional context in Sulawesi, Indonesia

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 509-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graden Z.L. Froese ◽  
Adrienne L. Contasti ◽  
Abdul Haris Mustari ◽  
Jedediah F. Brodie
Keyword(s):  
Camera Trap ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Vertebrate Species ◽  
Edge Type ◽  
Regional Context ◽  
Red Jungle Fowl ◽  
Local Abundance ◽  
Viverra Tangalunga ◽  
Landscape Level

Abstract:Anthropogenic edge effects, whereby disturbance strength increases in proximity to ecotone boundaries, are known to strongly affect individual species but we lack a general understanding of how they vary by species, disturbance type and regional context. We deployed 46 camera-trap stations for a total of 3545 trap-days at two sites in Sulawesi, Indonesia, obtaining 937 detections of five vertebrate species. Anoa (Bubalus spp.) were more abundant near edges, booted macaque (Macaca ochreata) and red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) were less abundant near edges, and edges did not impact Sulawesi warty pig (Sus celebensis) or Malay civet (Viverra tangalunga). But the relative importance of habitat disturbance from agriculture, roads and villages differed for each species, and edge-induced disturbances varied not only in magnitude but also in direction between the study areas. In the strongest instance, macaque local abundance was 3.5 times higher near villages than it was 3 km into the forest in one reserve, but 2.8 times higher 3 km into the forest than near villages in the other reserve. Our results suggest that responses to habitat edges among species and edge types are idiosyncratic, and that landscape-level context can strongly alter the influence of local disturbance on biodiversity.

scholarly journals Autumn Raptor Migration in Yellowstone National Park, 2011–2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-311
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Baril ◽  
David B. Haines ◽  
Lauren E. Walker ◽  
Douglas W. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Relative Role ◽  
Stopover Site

Raptors are wide-ranging, vagile avian predators whose populations can be difficult and costly to monitor on their breeding or winter range. However, monitoring raptors during their annual northbound or southbound migration is a cost-effective and efficient alternative to time-intensive, single-species breeding surveys. In 2010, we observed numerous Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) and Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) migrating through the Hayden Valley in central Yellowstone National Park, prompting an investigation into raptor migration patterns in the park. Our objectives were to monitor annual autumn raptor migration in Hayden Valley from 2011 to 2015 and to determine the relative role of this undocumented migration site by comparing our observations to simultaneously collected migration data from three other sites in the Rocky Mountain Flyway. From 2011 to 2015, we observed 6441 raptors of 17 species across 170 d and 907 h of observation. Red-tailed Hawks, Swainson’s Hawks, and Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) accounted for 51% of the total individuals observed over five years. Overall counts from Hayden Valley were comparable to counts from the three migration sites in the Rocky Mountains, although abundance of individual species varied by site. Data from this study suggest that Hayden Valley may serve as a stopover site for migrating raptors and presents an opportunity for future research. By improving our understanding of where raptors migrate and the characteristics of stopover areas in the Rocky Mountains, land managers may develop effective strategies for protecting raptor populations and habitat from threats including development and climate change.

In-Vehicle Network Architecture for the Next-Generation Vehicles

2010 ◽  
pp. 283-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Masud Mahmud
Keyword(s):  
Communication Networks ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Fault Tolerant ◽  
Fuel Efficiency ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Multimedia Systems ◽  
Safety Features ◽  
Vehicle Network

New types of communication networks will be necessary to meet various consumer and regulatory demands as well as satisfy requirements of safety and fuel efficiency. Various functionalities of vehicles will require various types of communication networks and networking protocols. For example, driveby- wire and active safety features will require fault tolerant networks with time-triggered protocols to guarantee deterministic latencies. Multimedia systems will require high-bandwidth networks for video transfer, and body electronics need low-bandwidth networks to keep the cost down. As the size and complexity of the network grows, the ease of integration, maintenance and troubleshooting has become a major challenge. To facilitate integration and troubleshooting of various nodes and networks, it would be desirable that networks of future vehicles should be partitioned, and the partitions should be interconnected by a hierarchical or multi-layer physical network. This book chapter describes a number of ways using which the networks of future vehicles could be designed and implemented in a cost-effective manner. The book chapter also shows how simulation models can be developed to evaluate the performance of various types of in-vehicle network topologies and select the most appropriate topology for given requirements and specifications.

Finding Cost-Effective Applications for Expert Systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-61
Author(s):  
P. J. Hartman
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Expert Systems ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Problem Complexity ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
The Right

Expert systems are one of the few areas of artificial intelligence which have successfully made the transition from research and development to practical application. The key to fielding a successful expert system is finding the right problem to solve. AI costs, including all the development and testing, are so high that the problems must be very important to justify the effort. This paper develops a systematic way of trying to predict the future. It provides robust decision-making criteria, which can be used to predict the success or failure of proposed expert systems. The methods focus on eliminating obviously unsuitable problems and performing risk assessments and cost evaluations of the program. These assessments include evaluation of need, problem complexity, value, user experience, and the processing speed required. If an application proves feasible, the information generated during the decision phase can be then used to speed the development process.

scholarly journals The The Making of Crime Predictions: Sociotechnical Assemblages and the Controversies of Governing Future Crime

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-215
Author(s):  
Daniel Edler Duarte
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Think Tank ◽  
Private Companies ◽  
Migrant Communities ◽  
Local Police ◽  
Gut Feelings

We are witnessing an upsurge in crime forecasting software, which supposedly draws predictive knowledge from data on past crime. Although prevention and anticipation are already embedded in the apparatuses of government, going beyond a mere abstract aspiration, the latest innovations hold out the promise of replacing police officers’ “gut feelings” and discretionary risk assessments with algorithmic-powered, quantified analyses of risk scores. While police departments and private companies praise such innovations for their cost-effective rationale, critics raise concerns regarding their potential for discriminating against poor, black, and migrant communities. In this article, I address such controversies by telling the story of the making of CrimeRadar, an app developed by a Rio de Janeiro-based think tank in partnership with private associates and local police authorities. Drawing mostly on Latour’s contributions to the emerging literature on security assemblages, I argue that we gain explanatory and critical leverage by looking into the mundane practices of making and unmaking sociotechnical arrangements. That is, I address the chain of translations through which crime data are collected, organized, and transformed into risk scores. In every step, new ways of seeing and presenting crime are produced, with a significant impact on how we experience and act upon (in)security.

scholarly journals Comparative analysis of linear and nonlinear equilibrium models for the removal of metronidazole by tea waste activated carbon

2020 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 1484-1494
Author(s):  
Peter Emmanuel Ebili ◽  
Manase Auta ◽  
Kehinde Shola Obayomi ◽  
Joseph Onyebuchi Okafor ◽  
Muibat Diekola Yahya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Adsorption Isotherm ◽  
Active Sites ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Physical Adsorption ◽  
Freundlich Isotherm ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Tea Waste ◽  
Non Linear

Abstract Tea waste was carbonized at 400 °C for 45 min and modified with potassium hydroxide (KOH), to enhance the active sites for the adsorption of antibiotics. The developed tea waste activated carbon (TWAC) was used as a novel eco-friendly and cost-effective adsorbent for metronidazole (MZN) removal from aqueous solution. The textural and surface properties of the adsorbent were determined using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and FT-Raman analysis. The BET surface was found to have increased from 24.670 to 349.585 after carbonization and KOH modification. The batch experimental parameters were optimized and equilibrium time was found to be 75 min. Linear and non-linear models were carried out on the adsorption isotherm and kinetics to determine the best fit for the adsorption data. The adsorption equilibrium data were well fitted by the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second order models, with higher regression correlation (R2) and smaller chi-square (χ2), as predicted by the non-linear model. The thermodynamic results revealed the adsorption of MZN as spontaneous, physical, and consistently exothermic in character. The activation energy value of 7.610 kJ/mol further revealed that the adsorption process is dominated majorly by physical adsorption. The removal of MZN onto TWAC was best described by the non-linear adsorption isotherm and kinetics model.

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