Low-density koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations in the mulgalands of south-west Queensland. II. Distribution and diet

This study used faecal pellets to investigate the broadscale distribution and diet of koalas in the mulgalands biogeographic region of south-west Queensland. Koala distribution was determined by conducting faecal pellet searches within a 30-cm radius of the base of eucalypts on 149 belt transects, located using a multi-scaled stratified sampling design. Cuticular analysis of pellets collected ffom 22 of these sites was conducted to identify the dietary composition of koalas within the region. Our data suggest that koala distribution is concentrated in the northern and more easterly regions of the study area, and appears to be strongly linked with annual rainfall. Over 50% of our koala records were obtained from non-riverine communities, indicating that koalas in the study area are not primarily restricted to riverine communities, as bas frequently been suggested. Cuticular analysis indicates that more than 90% of koala diet within the region consists of five eucalypt species. Our data highlights the importance of residual Tertiary landforms to koala conservation in the region.

Microbiological characterisation of soils : Evaluation of some critical steps in data collection and experimental design

The study of soil microbiota and their activities is central to the understanding of many ecosystem processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. The collection of microbiological data from soils generally involves several sequential steps of sampling, pretreatment and laboratory measurements. The reliability of results is dependent on reliable methods in every step. The aim of this thesis was to critically evaluate some central methods and procedures used in soil microbiological studies in order to increase our understanding of the factors that affect the measurement results and to provide guidance and new approaches for the design of experiments. The thesis focuses on four major themes: 1) soil microbiological heterogeneity and sampling, 2) storage of soil samples, 3) DNA extraction from soil, and 4) quantification of specific microbial groups by the most-probable-number (MPN) procedure. Soil heterogeneity and sampling are discussed as a single theme because knowledge on spatial (horizontal and vertical) and temporal variation is crucial when designing sampling procedures. Comparison of adjacent forest, meadow and cropped field plots showed that land use has a strong impact on the degree of horizontal variation of soil enzyme activities and bacterial community structure. However, regardless of the land use, the variation of microbiological characteristics appeared not to have predictable spatial structure at 0.5-10 m. Temporal and soil depth-related patterns were studied in relation to plant growth in cropped soil. The results showed that most enzyme activities and microbial biomass have a clear decreasing trend in the top 40 cm soil profile and a temporal pattern during the growing season. A new procedure for sampling of soil microbiological characteristics based on stratified sampling and pre-characterisation of samples was developed. A practical example demonstrated the potential of the new procedure to reduce the analysis efforts involved in laborious microbiological measurements without loss of precision. The investigation of storage of soil samples revealed that freezing (-20 °C) of small sample aliquots retains the activity of hydrolytic enzymes and the structure of the bacterial community in different soil matrices relatively well whereas air-drying cannot be recommended as a storage method for soil microbiological properties due to large reductions in activity. Freezing below -70 °C was the preferred method of storage for samples with high organic matter content. Comparison of different direct DNA extraction methods showed that the cell lysis treatment has a strong impact on the molecular size of DNA obtained and on the bacterial community structure detected. An improved MPN method for the enumeration of soil naphthalene degraders was introduced as an alternative to more complex MPN protocols or the DNA-based quantification approach. The main advantage of the new method is the simple protocol and the possibility to analyse a large number of samples and replicates simultaneously.

Interdecadal change in growth of sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) in the northeast Pacific Ocean

Errors in growth estimates can affect drastically the spawner-perrecruit threshold used to recommend quotas for commercial fish catches. Growth parameters for sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) in Alaska have not been updated for stock assessment purposes for more than 20 years, although aging of sablefish has continued. In this study, length-stratified data (1981–93 data from the annual longline survey conducted cooperatively by the Fisheries Agency of Japan and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center of the National Marine Fisheries Service) were updated and corrected for discovered sampling bias. In addition, more recent, randomly collected samples (1996–2004 data from the annual longline survey conducted by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center) were analyzed and new length-at-age and weight-at-age parameters were estimated. Results were similar between this analysis with length-at-age data from 1981 to 2004 and analysis with updated longline survey data through 2010; therefore, we used our initial results from analysis done with data through 2004. We found that, because of a stratified sampling scheme, growth estimates of sablefish were overestimated with the older data (1981–93), and growth parameters used in the Alaskan sablefish assessment model were, thus, too large. In addition, a comparison of the bias-corrected 1981–93 data and the 1996–2004 data showed that, in more recent years, sablefish grew larger and growth differed among regions. The updated growth information improves the fit of the data to the sablefish stock assessment model with biologically reasonable results. These findings indicate that when the updated growth data (1996–2004) are used in the existing sablefish assessment model, estimates of fishing mortality increase slightly and estimates of female spawning biomass decrease slightly. This study provides evidence of the importance of periodically revisiting biological parameter estimates, especially as data accumulate, because the addition of more recent data often will be more biologically realistic. In addition, it exemplifies the importance of correcting biases from sampling that may contribute to erroneous parameter estimates.

工作社会规范观念的心理学研究与跨文化比较

Data on meaning of working (MOW) were collected from 905 respondents in Beijing area through a stratified sampling procedure of the questionnaire used in the restudy of meaning of working (which is still on going, adapted for using in China). Some parts of the factor structure obtained in this study are similar to what found by the MOW International Research Team (1987). Detailed analysis and cross-cultural comparisons were concentrated on the most similar parts societal norms about working (SNW). T-scores of the obligation norm (ON) and entitlement norm (EN) of Chinese were calculated based on the reaction frequencies of relevant items provided by the MOW International Research Team and shown as follows. The results reveal the obligation orientation characteristic of Chinese respondents. And more, 4 SNW patterns of Chinese respondents were obtained through multivariate cluster analysis and multivariate discrimination analysis and shown as follows. The influences of antecedent variables on SNW and the consequences of SNW were analyzed. Two questions were raised from these analyses: 1) The present measurements of SNW are not able to reflect the nature of the relation and dependency between ON and EN and are not free from social desirability; 2) the relationship between SNW and actual working behaviors need to be tested while the relationship between SNW and several work intentions was confirmed. A forced-choice scale of SNW was designed to overcome the shortcomes of the original scale. This scale includes 30 items. Each item is composed of a ON statement and a EN statement with similar values of social desirability. A repertory grids test was used to exam the constructure validity and to analyze the differences of cognitive structures of the 4 SNW patterns. The results indicated that the new scale had a good discrimination power. An experiment was designed to test the relationship of SNW and the actual work behaviors of the respondents. The respondents' action in completing a task was chosen as working behavior index. 4 hypotheses were tested: 1) higher obligation orientation subjects are more likely to complete tasks no matter overtime; 2) scheduled tasks are more likely to be completed no matter overtime; 3) the obligation norm about working is positively correlated with general obligation norms; and, 4) external motivtors will enhance lower obligation orientation subjects' working motivation more than higher obligation orientation subjects' the results verified hypothesis 1 and 3, but didn't support hypothesis 2 and 4 these findings will have great implication in administrating.

Student use of electronic information services in further education

Urquhart,C., Thomas, R., Spink, S., Fenton, R., Yeoman, A., Lonsdale, R., Armstrong, C., Banwell, L., Ray, K., Coulson, G. & Rowley, J. (2005). Student use of electronic information services in further education. International Journal of Information Management, 25(4), 347-362. Sponsorship: JISC

Service quality and reliability assessment of mobile communication infrastructure

The service quality of any sector has two major aspects namely technical and functional. Technical quality can be attained by maintaining technical specification as decided by the organization. Functional quality refers to the manner which service is delivered to customer which can be assessed by the customer feed backs. A field survey was conducted based on the management tool SERVQUAL, by designing 28 constructs under 7 dimensions of service quality. Stratified sampling techniques were used to get 336 valid responses and the gap scores of expectations and perceptions are analyzed using statistical techniques to identify the weakest dimension. To assess the technical aspects of availability six months live outage data of base transceiver were collected. The statistical and exploratory techniques were used to model the network performance. The failure patterns have been modeled in competing risk models and probability distribution of service outage and restorations were parameterized. Since the availability of network is a function of the reliability and maintainability of the network elements, any service provider who wishes to keep up their service level agreements on availability should be aware of the variability of these elements and its effects on interactions. The availability variations were studied by designing a discrete time event simulation model with probabilistic input parameters. The probabilistic distribution parameters arrived from live data analysis was used to design experiments to define the availability domain of the network under consideration. The availability domain can be used as a reference for planning and implementing maintenance activities. A new metric is proposed which incorporates a consistency index along with key service parameters that can be used to compare the performance of different service providers. The developed tool can be used for reliability analysis of mobile communication systems and assumes greater significance in the wake of mobile portability facility. It is also possible to have a relative measure of the effectiveness of different service providers.

Socio-economic characterization of integrated cropping systems in urban and peri-urban agriculture of Faisalabad, Pakistan

Faisalabad city is surrounded by agricultural lands, where farmers are growing vegetables, grain crops, and fodder for auto-consumption and local marketing. To study the socioeconomic impact and resource use in these urban and peri-urban agricultural production (UPA) systems, a baseline survey was conducted during 2009–2010. A total of 140 households were selected using a stratified sampling method and interviewed with a structured questionnaire. The results revealed that 96 % of the households rely on agriculture as their main occupation. Thirty percent of the households were owners of the land and the rest cultivated either rented or sharecropped land. Most of the families (70 %) were headed by a member with primary education, and only 10 % of the household head had a secondary school certificate. Irrigationwater was obtained from waste water (37 %), canals (27 %), and mixed alternative sources (36 %). A total of 35 species were cultivated in the UPA systems of which were 65% vegetables, 15% grain and fodder crops, and 5% medicinal plants. Fifty-nine percent of the households cultivated wheat, mostly for auto-consumption. The 51 % of the respondents grew cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.) and gourds (Cucurbitaceae) in the winter and summer seasons, respectively. Group marketing was uncommon and most of the farmers sold their produce at the farm gate (45 %) and on local markets (43 %). Seeds and fertilizers were available from commission agents and dealers on a credit basis with the obligation to pay by harvested produce. A major problem reported by the UPA farmers of Faisalabad was the scarcity of high quality irrigation water, especially during the hot dry summer months, in addition to lacking adequate quantities of mineral fertilizers and other inputs during sowing time. Half of the respondents estimated their daily income to be less than 1.25 US$ and spent almost half of it on food. Monthly average household income and expenses were 334 and 237 US$, respectively.

Evaluación del nivel de seguridad ocupacional en laboratorios universitarios de ingeniería en Bogotá

Antecedentes: Los laboratorios estudiantiles ofrecen riesgos para los estudiantes, la normatividad específica vigente no es de carácter obligatorio y en Bogotá aproximadamente hay 387 laboratorios. Objetivo: Evaluar el nivel de seguridad referente a salud, higiene y seguridad industrial en las prácticas que se desarrollan en los laboratorios de pregrado de Ingeniería en universidades de Bogotá. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo con un muestreo estratificado por conglomerado en ocho (8) universidades de la ciudad de Bogotá, con una confiabilidad del 95% y una precisión absoluta del 6% para una proporción máxima esperada; para evaluar los laboratorios se utilizó el Cuestionario de seguridad para laboratorios de secundaria (NTP 921) del Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene del Trabajo de España Resultados: Se evaluaron 166 laboratorios de 8 universidades de Bogotá, 65 de los laboratorios evaluados presentaron un riesgo bajo de los aspectos evaluados. Los aspectos con un porcentaje mayor o igual al 80% de cumplimiento de condiciones fueron aspectos generales del laboratorio, trabajo de los alumnos, manipulación de material, manipulación del producto, protección contra Incendios, eliminación de residuos, seguridad eléctrica y formación. Los ítems con un porcentaje menor del 60% de cumplimiento son los siguientes: sistemas de alarma contra incendios o emergencias; mantenimiento preventivo de la red eléctrica del laboratorio, capacitaciones anuales sobre seguridad en los laboratorios. aspectos generales del laboratorio, trabajo de los alumnos, manipulación de material, manipulación del producto, protección contra Incendios, eliminación de residuos, seguridad eléctrica y formación. Se realizó una prueba de asociación entre el tipo de laboratorio y cada ítem de las condiciones de seguridad del laboratorio. Los laboratorios que cumplen con un mayor número de condiciones de seguridad fueron los laboratorios químicos, el aspecto que obtuvo un porcentaje bajo de cumplimiento fue protección personal (40%); los aspectos que se cumplieron son aspectos generales del laboratorio, trabajo de los alumnos, manipulación de material, manipulación del producto, protección contra Incendios, eliminación de residuos, seguridad eléctrica y formación.

Diagnostic reference levels for the most frequent radiological examinations carried out in Brazil

Objectives. A large-scale survey of doses to patients undergoing the most frequent radiological examinations was carried out in health services in Sao Paulo (347 radiological examinations per 1 000 inhabitants), the most populous Brazilian state. Methods. A postal dosimetric kit with thermoluminescence dosimeters was used to evaluate the entrance surface dose (ESD) to patients. A stratified sampling technique applied to the national health database furnished important data on the distribution of equipment and the annual number of examinations. Chest, head (skull and sinus), and spine (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar) examinations were included in the trial. A total of 83 rooms and 868 patients were included, and 1 415 values of ESD were measured. Results. The data show large coefficients of variation in tube charge, giving rise to large variations in ESD values. Also, a series of high ESD values associated with unnecessary localizing fluoroscopy were detected. Diagnostic reference levels were determined, based on the 75th percentile (third quartile) of the ESD distributions. For adult patients, the diagnostic reference levels achieved are very similar to those obtained in international surveys. However, the situation is different for pediatric patients: the ESD values found in this survey are twice as large as the international recommendations for chest radiographs of children. Conclusions. Despite the reduced number of ESD values and rooms for the pediatric patient group, it is recommended that practices in chest examinations be revised and that specific national reference doses and image quality be established after a broader survey is carried out.

A gestão da qualidade nos cursos de graduação a distância da UFRN/SEDIS : a percepção dos discentes

This dissertation has as objective at analyzing the students' perception about the quality of graduate courses distance of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, which was motivated by the following research problem: the perception that graduate students of the distance of the UFRN have on the quality of the undergraduate? To this end, we sought to gather evidence for a satisfactory approach that addresses the complexity of the subject studied: quality management, distance learning and quality in the Higher Education Institutions. We chose to adopt as a research method, case study on the procedure of the research, exploratory research-descriptive about the objective and quantitative research when tackling the problem. The object of the study were six graduate courses distance UFRN/SEDIS, having as target the students of the courses. The sample was calculated using the Stratified sampling on which 217 students, the courses surveyed were selected. The survey instrument consisted of 21 structured questions, of which seven questions designed to identify the profile of students, seven issues of perceptions (manifest variables) on quality management in distance learning, where students have given values (responses) for 24 statements (which address the central theme of this dissertation) composite based on a 5-point Likert s scale, and six questions about general characteristics that may interfere with students' perception about the quality. Was used as statistical method (data analysis), descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. The results show the identification of four latent factors (obtained by exploratory factor analysis), namely: (1) infrastructure and management - polo presence, (2) teaching-learning processes, (3) communication tools and integration; (4) tutors. We also observed that aspects related to infrastructure and management at the pole face had the lowest score among the factors observed, requiring special attention by the education institution. On the other hand, teachers and teaching learning processes were the items with better performance in the perception of students. It is concluded that the perception of students in relation to quality in distance education courses, the median is trending positive perception, ie the perception of overall quality of the courses is not assertive and unison, but tends to positive perception. Thus, the results, it is expected that the managers of the institution to focus attention on critical points in order to minimize them (or eliminate them) and maximize the positive aspects that are perceived by the students

An epidemiologic study of headaches in brazilian schoolchildren with a focus on pain frequency

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a prevalência e frequência de cefaléia em escolares brasileiros. Um estudo transversal foi conduzido entre Março e Novembro de 2004 em São José do Rio Preto, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Uma amostra de 5.232 crianças das escolas foi selecionada utilizando método de amostragem estratificada proporcional. Para a coleta dos dados, um questionário foi entregue nas escolas aos estudantes para ser respondida pelos pais e/ou responsáveis. do total de respostas recebidas, 84,2% relataram cefaléia durante o último ano. Houve diferenças significativas na frequência da queixa de cefaléia entre meninos e meninas. As meninas relataram cefaléias mais frequentes do que os meninos, com prevalência de cefaléias diárias duas vezes maior em meninas. Uma maior frequência de cefaléia foi também relatada com o aumento da idade. O estudo demonstrou que a prevalência de cefaléia foi alta, com uma maior frequência (mensais, semanais e diárias) em meninas e no grupo etário mais velho.

Risk factors relating to helminth infections in cows during the peripartum

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Associação entre deficiências físicas e hospitalizações na população da cidade de São Paulo, Brasil

O objetivo foi verificar a associação entre presença de deficiências físicas e hospitalizações na cidade de São Paulo, Brasil. Foi realizado inquérito de saúde na cidade de São Paulo em 2008. Utilizou-se processo de amostragem probabilística, estratificada (sexo/idade) e por conglomerados em dois estágios (setores censitários e domicílios). Os dados foram coletados por entrevistas por meio de um questionário estruturado, com 21 blocos, com a maioria das questões fechadas. A análise inferencial foi realizada com o uso de razões de prevalência (RP) bruta e ajustada e intervalo de 95% de confiança (IC95%) pelo método de regressão de Poisson. O módulo survey do programa Stata 9.2 foi usado para as análises, com significância de 5%. Foram entrevistadas 2.690 pessoas, com idade média de 38,75 anos (IC95%: 37,54-39,96). A hospitalização foi associada à deficiência (auditiva, RP = 1,59; física, RP = 3,77; múltipla, RP = 3,26). As pessoas com deficiência (auditiva, física - paralisia/amputação e múltipla) relataram internações com mais frequência que aquelas sem deficiência.

Analysis of the risk factors related to the immune humoral anti-Anaplasma marginale in dairy cattle

Anaplasma marginale is the most prevalent pathogen of cattle transmitted by ticks in the world. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for anaplasmosis in dairy cattle. Fifty dairy cattle from the herd of Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuaria do Estado do Rio de Janeiro were selected by proportional stratified sampling. The risk factors evaluated were: physiological state, race pattern, number of lactations, milk production, infestation by Rhipicephalus microplus and animal density. Antibody activity against A. marginale was determined using the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The percentual values of seroprevalence for A. marginale were submitted to X2 test, and the level of minimum significance, to keep a factor in the model of logistic regression, was fixated in 5%. It was observed that pregnancy and lactation influenced significantly (p<0.05) in the seropositivity of the animals. Bos indicus animals had 5.21 times more chances of being seropositive than B. taurus animals. Primiparous female had 88% more chances of being seropositive than pluriparous female. Animals with high milk production were 63% more positive than low production animals. When infested by ticks the animals had 39% more chance of being seropositive to A. marginale. Bos indicus animals presented 5.21 times more chance of being seropositive than B. taurus animals. Primiparous females presented 88% more chance of being seropositive than the pluriparous ones. High milk production animals were 63% more positive than the low production ones. When infested by ticks the animals had 39% more chance of being seropositive to A. marginale. High density grazing provided for the animals 3.2 times more chances of being seropositive than low density ones. The herd was classified as erratic to A. marginale, even being placed in a steady enzootic area.

Estudo dos planos amostrais e estimadores para a aplicação no dimensionamento da popoluação canina de Rio Claro - SP

Pós-graduação em Matemática Universitária - IGCE