Innovation through the prism of companies using direct marketing. An empirical example from Bulgaria

The current article presents empirical results on the frequency and type of innovations applied by companies in Bulgaria that are using direct marketing. The research is provoked by the dynamic and changing nature of direct marketing. As one of the main characteristics of direct marketing is the absence of intermediaries, the companies should constantly develop their knowledge and competences so they can improve their contact and communication with their customers in order to apply correctly and profitably the three approached associated with direct marketing. They are: the personalization in dealing with customers, the establishment of long-term relationships and the generation of customer’s loyalty, and they happen through different media. An appropriate application of these approaches requires collection, record and analysis of information which is being more and more executed as an automated process. The different and new types of media, in turn, require methods and understanding that further develop or eliminate existing practices, beliefs, and technologies. In this context, a theoretical analysis of innovations is being first conducted. After having a structured division of innovations by their types a brief questionnaire is being developed. As a result, the report summarizes the intersections of the theory with the established practice in 97 companies in Bulgaria.

The vertebrate fossil collection record from the Chinchilla Sand, South–East Queensland, 1844-2021

Since the mid-1840s a diverse fossil vertebrate assemblage, referred to as the Chinchilla Local Fauna, has been collected from the Pliocene deposits of the Chinchilla Sand on the western Darling Downs of South-East Queensland. In large part because of this long history and the numerous collectors who have worked fossil deposits in the area, much ambiguity regarding site and locality names and their specific coordinates exists. Here, we review the vertebrate fossil collection records in the Queensland Museum Fossil, Donor, Collector and Locality Registers, correspondence, and field notes in an effort to pinpoint the location of each named locality and site and develop a digital map which highlights the historical collecting sites at one significant locality in the Chinchilla area. To ensure that a systematic framework for all future collecting from the main collecting area (Chinchilla Rifle Range) is maintained, we recommend the use of consistent nomenclature for sites so that spatial information of the highest possible quality is captured into the future. We recommend future collections include detailed recordings of stratigraphic contexts as well as GPS coordinates.

The importance of the Brazilian Subtropical Highland Grasslands evidenced by a taxonomically verified endemic species list

The Brazilian Subtropical Highland Grasslands (Campos de Cima da Serra) is one of the main areas of endemism in southern Brazil. The complex biogeographic history that resulted in the floristic composition of the region is directly linked to the high degree of plant endemism found there. Here we present a current checklist for the endemic plants – the first taxonomically verified endemic species list for the region. The list comprises 273 endemic taxa (23.5% of its flora) representing 40 families and 117 genera, highlighting fifty-seven taxa reported as endemic from the region for the first time in recent years. Voucher specimens, original publication, locality information and distribution data are provided for each endemic taxon. Botanical collections in the Brazilian Subtropical Highland Grasslands have increased exponentially during the last four decades. However, 41 taxa are known only from the original collection record reported in their protologue. Our results emphasize the importance of the Brazilian Subtropical Highland Grasslands in terms of conservation of its flora and the importance of providing complete information on botanical collection labels as source for a robust knowledge of the flora.

New and little known Jacobsoniidae (Coleoptera) from China

A second Chinese species of the beetle family Jacobsoniidae, Sarothrias songi sp. nov., is described from Hainan Island. The new species is compared with and separated from similar congeners, supported by illustrations of diagnostic characters. A new collection record for S. sinicus Bi & Chen, 2015 from Yunnan is given, and the genital structures of this species are illustrated for the first time.

Temperature Control in High Precision by PID Based on LabVIEW

A PID temperature control system was designed with the LabVIEW graphical programming language and the PID toolkit. Data collection, PID control, data record and data check were experimented to a practicable instrument with the purchased programming power supply and data collection record system. The hardware and software of the computer with the virtual instrument system was proofed to be practical and the smooth control of the system temperature with the accuracy of 1 was available.

Precisie PID Temperature Control Based on LabVIEW

A PID temperature control system was designed with the LabVIEW graphical programming language and the PID toolkit. Data collection, PID control, data record and data check were experimented to the practicable instrument with the purchased programming power supply and data collection record system. Operate the hardware and software of the computer with the virtual instrument and realize the smooth control of the system temperature with the accuracy of 1.

The effect of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on scientific collections

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) was conceived in the spirit of cooperation, with the aim of ensuring that the international trade in wild animals and plants, including all parts and derivatives, did not threaten their survival. However, concerns have been raised by scientists that CITES hinders the cross-border movement of scientific specimens. To our knowledge, no empirical analysis has been undertaken to demonstrate the existence of this effect. We test for a CITES effect on the collection record of orchids from Brazil and Costa Rica using the collection records of bromeliads, which are not covered by CITES, as a control. Highly significant effects are found in both countries.

Larvae of two signal fly species (Diptera:Platystomatidae), Duomyia foliata McAlpine and Plagiostenopterina enderleini Hendel, are scavengers of sea turtle eggs

Dipteran larvae are known to infest turtle eggs. However, the few studies conducted on this topic have presented conflicting conclusions as to whether the larvae function as scavengers of necrotic nest material or as egg and hatchling predators. These two very different roles in the nest will have equally different effects on the subsequent hatch and emergence success of affected sea turtle nests. The association between dipteran larvae and sea turtle nest invasion was investigated by measuring rates of infestation in excavated green (Chelonia mydas) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle nests at field sites in central Queensland, Australia. Excavations were performed within 24 h of hatchling emergence, and necrotic embryos and dead hatchlings were found to be infested with two larval species of the Platystomatidae: Plagiostenopterina enderleini and Duomyia foliata. This work represents the first description of the association between these dipteran species and sea turtle nests, and a new geographic collection record for D. foliata. High rookery infestation rates versus low prevalence of propagule infestation suggest that the larvae preferentially infest dead embryos. The fact that some pipped hatchlings were devoured in-shell presents the possibility that the larvae may act opportunistically as predators. However, the two dipteran species appear to be primarily scavengers of necrotic material within the nests, which means that the threat to sea turtle populations from these flies is probably minimal.