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 from 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 has 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.

Morphological and phytochemical characterization of Piper hispidinervum DC. and Piper aduncum L. populations in the state of Acre

Because of the increasing demand of the industry for the production of essential oils, studies highlight the genetic variability of Piper hispidinervum and P. aduncum species according to their patterns of spatial distribution, showing the Amazon region as the source of superior genetic material in the production of safrole and dillapiole. Thus, the objective this study was to characterize the morphology and the phytochemistry of Piper hispidinervum and P. aduncum populations in the Active Germplasm Bank of Embrapa Acre to generate subsidies for the genetic improvement of these species. The results showed that the average values for leaf width and length were 141.67 and 48.04 mm, and petioles length and diameter measurements were 2.83 and 1.78 mm for P. hispidinervum and 189.22; 67.74; 6.03 and 2.22 mm for P. aduncum respectively. The average height and canopy volume measurements were 2.39 m and 6.30 m3 and 2.70 m and 7.78 m3 respectively for each species. For P. hispidinervum, the population with higher performance indried yield and content of safrole was population 02, with 3.9%, and the population 04 showed 94.3% safrole content, both with genetic material from the region of Acrelândia and Plácido de Castro. To P. aduncum, the populations with better performance were 207, 208 and 209, forming a homogeneous group with dried yield average of 3.8% and dillapiol content of 84-85%. Such populations are indicated for selection in breeding program of these species due to better performance.

Association of socioeconomic status with overall and cause specific mortality in the republic of seychelles : results from a cohort study in the african region

BACKGROUND: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is consistently associated with higher mortality in high income countries. Only few studies have assessed this association in low and middle income countries, mainly because of sparse reliable mortality data. This study explores SES differences in overall and cause-specific mortality in the Seychelles, a rapidly developing small island state in the African region. METHODS: All deaths have been medically certified over more than two decades. SES and other lifestyle-related risk factors were assessed in a total of 3246 participants from three independent population-based surveys conducted in 1989, 1994 and 2004. Vital status was ascertained using linkage with vital statistics. Occupational position was the indicator of SES used in this study and was assessed with the same questions in the three surveys. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 15.0 years (range 0-23 years), 523 participants died (overall mortality rate 10.8 per 1000 person-years). The main causes of death were cardiovascular disease (CVD) (219 deaths) and cancer (142 deaths). Participants in the low SES group had a higher mortality risk for overall (HR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.24-2.62), CVD (HR = 1.95; 1.04-3.65) and non-cancer/non-CVD (HR = 2.14; 1.10-4.16) mortality compared to participants in the high SES group. Cancer mortality also tended to be patterned by SES (HR = 1.44; 0.76-2.75). Major lifestyle-related risk factors (smoking, heavy drinking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia) explained a small proportion of the associations between low SES and all-cause, CVD, and non-cancer/non-CVD mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based study assessing social inequalities in mortality in a country of the African region, low SES (as measured by occupational position) was strongly associated with overall, CVD and non-cancer/non-CVD mortality. Our findings support the view that the burden of non-communicable diseases may disproportionally affect people with low SES in low and middle income countries.

Overfishing of small pelagic fishes increases trophic overlap between immature and mature striped dolphins in the Mediterranean Sea

The interactions among diet, ecology, physiology, and biochemistry affect N and C stable isotope signatures in animal tissues. Here, we examined if ecological segregation among animals in relation to sex and age existed by analyzing the signatures of delta15N and delta13C in the muscle of Western Mediterranean striped dolphins. Moreover, we used a Bayesian mixing model to study diet composition and investigated potential dietary changes over the last two decades in this population. For this, we compared isotope signatures in samples of stranded dolphins obtained during two epizootic events occurring in 1990 and 2007-2008. Mean delta13C values for females and males were not significantly different, but age-related variation indicated delta13C enrichment in both sexes, suggesting that females and males most likely fed in the same general areas, increasing their consumption of benthic prey with age. Enrichment of delta15N was only observed in females, suggesting a preference for larger or higher trophic level prey than males, which could reflect different nutritional requirements. delta13C values showed no temporal variation, although the mean delta15N signature decreased from 1990 to 2007-2008, which could indicate a dietary shift in the striped dolphin over the last two decades. The results of SIAR indicated that in 1990, hake and sardine together contributed to 60% on the diet of immature striped dolphins, and close to 90% for mature striped dolphins. Conversely, the diet of both groups in 2007-2008 was more diverse, as hake and sardine contributed to less than 40% of the entire diet. These results suggest a dietary change that was possibly related to changes in food availability, which is consistent with the depletion of sardine stocks by fishing.

Alps, genes, and chromosomes: their role in the formation of species in the Sorex araneus group (Mammalia, Insectivora), as inferred from two hybrid zones.

During the Pleistocene glaciations, the Alps were an efficient barrier to gene flow between isolated populations, often leading to allopatric speciation. Afterwards, the Alps strongly influenced the post-glacial recolonization of Europe and represent a major suture zone between differentiated populations. Two hybrid zones in the Swiss and French Alps between genetically and chromosomally well-differentiated species-the Valais shrew, Sorex antinorii, and the common shrew, S. araneus-were studied karyotypically and by analyzing the distribution of seven microsatellite loci. In the center of the Haslital hybrid zone the two species coexist over a distance of 900 m. Hybrid karyotypes, among them the most complex known in Sorex, are rare. F-statistics based on microsatellite data revealed a strong heterozygote deficit only in the center of the zone, due to the sympatric distribution of the two species with little hybridization between them. Structuring within the species (both F(IS) and F(ST)) was low. An hierarchical analysis showed a high level of interspecific differentiation. Results were compared with those previously reported in another hybrid zone located at Les Houches in the French Alps. Genetic structuring within and between species was comparable in both hybrid zones, although chromosomal incompatibilities are more important in Haslital, where a linkage block of the race-specific chromosomes should additionally impede gene flow. Evidence for a more restricted gene flow in Haslital comes from the genetically intermediate hybrid karyotypes, whereas in Les Houches, hybrid karyotypes are genetically identical to individuals of the pure karyotypic races. Genic and chromosomal introgression was observed in Les Houches, but not in Haslital. The possible influence of a river, separating the two species at Les Houches, on gene flow is discussed.

Interaction between cationic and conventional nonionic surfactants in the mixed micelle and monolayer formed in aqueous medium

Mixed micellization and surface properties of cationic and nonionic surfactants dimethyl decyl-, tetradecyl- and hexadecyl phosphineoxide mixtures are studied using conductivity and surface tension measurements. The models of Rubingh, Rosen, and Clint, are used to obtain the interaction parameter, minimum area per molecule, mixed micelle composition, free energies of mixing and activity coefficients. The micellar mole fractions were always higher than ideal values indicating high contributions of cationics in mixed micelles. Activity coefficients were less than unity indicating synergism in micelles. The negative free energies of mixing showed the stability of the surfactants in the mixed micelles.

Wage Discrimination Between White and Visible Minority Immigrants in the Canadian Manufacturing Sector.

Rapport de recherche présenté à la Faculté des arts et des sciences en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maîtrise en sciences économiques.

Bayesian Inference in Exponential and Pareto populations in the presence of Outliers

This thesis Entitled Bayesian inference in Exponential and pareto populations in the presence of outliers. The main theme of the present thesis is focussed on various estimation problems using the Bayesian appraoch, falling under the general category of accommodation procedures for analysing Pareto data containing outlier. In Chapter II. the problem of estimation of parameters in the classical Pareto distribution specified by the density function. In Chapter IV. we discuss the estimation of (1.19) when the sample contain a known number of outliers under three different data generating mechanisms, viz. the exchangeable model. Chapter V the prediction of a future observation based on a random sample that contains one contaminant. Chapter VI is devoted to the study of estimation problems concerning the exponential parameters under a k-outlier model.

Mediating between hearer's and speaker's views in the generation of adaptive explanations

In this article, we examine the case of a system that cooperates with a “direct” user to plan an activity that some “indirect” user, not interacting with the system, should perform. The specific application we consider is the prescription of drugs. In this case, the direct user is the prescriber and the indirect user is the person who is responsible for performing the therapy. Relevant characteristics of the two users are represented in two user models. Explanation strategies are represented in planning operators whose preconditions encode the cognitive state of the indirect user; this allows tailoring the message to the indirect user's characteristics. Expansion of optional subgoals and selection among candidate operators is made by applying decision criteria represented as metarules, that negotiate between direct and indirect users' views also taking into account the context where explanation is provided. After the message has been generated, the direct user may ask to add or remove some items, or change the message style. The system defends the indirect user's needs as far as possible by mentioning the rationale behind the generated message. If needed, the plan is repaired and the direct user model is revised accordingly, so that the system learns progressively to generate messages suited to the preferences of people with whom it interacts.

Damage rate is a predictor of fatigue life and creep strain rate in fatigue of tensile human cortical bone samples

We present results on the growth of damage in 29 fatigue tests of human femoral cortical bone from four individuals, aged 53–79. In these tests we examine the interdependency of stress, cycles to failure, rate of creep strain, and rate of modulus loss. The behavior of creep rates has been reported recently for the same donors as an effect of stress and cycles (Cotton, J. R., Zioupos, P., Winwood, K., and Taylor, M., 2003, "Analysis of Creep Strain During Tensile Fatigue of Cortical Bone," J. Biomech. 36, pp. 943–949). In the present paper we first examine how the evolution of damage (drop in modulus per cycle) is associated with the stress level or the "normalized stress" level (stress divided by specimen modulus), and results show the rate of modulus loss fits better as a function of normalized stress. However, we find here that even better correlations can be established between either the cycles to failure or creep rates versus rates of damage than any of these three measures versus normalized stress. The data indicate that damage rates can be excellent predictors of fatigue life and creep strain rates in tensile fatigue of human cortical bone for use in practical problems and computer simulations.

Strategic alliances between companies and non-governmental organizations pursuing the creation of shared value: an exploratory study at the base of the pyramid in Brazil

Na última década, uma crescente atenção tem sido dedicada ao desenvolvimento de estratégias que permitem uma empresa de atender os mercados de baixa renda de uma forma rentável e ao mesmo tempo enfrentar os desafios sociais. Uma das ferramentas estratégicas identificados para operar com sucesso na base da pirâmide ( BoP ), consiste no estabelecimento de alianças com organizações não governamentais (ONGs). Isso, no entanto, é um desafio, especialmente porque os atores do setor empresarial e da sociedade civil são movidos por um propósito diferente e adotam uma abordagem diferente na condução das suas atividades. O objetivo desta pesquisa é, portanto, investigar precisamente como ONGs e empresas podem alavancar os seus respectivos recursos e capacidades para criar valor econômico e social , servindo este segmento. Um estudo de casos múltiplos, com foco na base da pirâmide brasileira é utilizado, a fim de entender as dificuldades e fatores de sucesso para a criação e gestão de tais alianças e identificar os recursos e capacidades que são mobilizados por cada parceiro. Os resultados sugerem que as principais dificuldades estão em encontrar um parceiro adequado; superar percepções estereotipadas negativos e falta de confiança e, finalmente, na diferente estrutura, cultura e processos. Por sua vez, os fatores mais importantes que levam ao sucesso incluem a escolha do parceiro certo; compatibilidade em termos de missão, estratégia e valores; estabelecimento de confiança e comprometimento; comunicação eficaz e, finalmente, a capacidade da aliança de gerar valor para ambos os parceiros. Além disso, os resultados demostram que o papel das ONGs é na maior parte limitado a agir como uma ponte entre a empresa e as comunidades de baixa renda, enquanto as capacidades operacionais e os recursos financeiros são fornecidos pelas empresas.