Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Habitat selection and demography of bobcats ( Lynx rufus ) in Iowa

Since the late-1970s bobcats have been rare throughout the Corn Belt region, their disappearance attributed to habitat loss and to unregulated harvest. Recently, reports of bobcat occurrences have been increasing in Iowa, although biologists do not know the mechanisms enabling them to recolonize this highly fragmented landscape. We determined space use and habitat selection of bobcats by radio-collaring 44 bobcats across 9 counties in south-central Iowa during 2003-2005. ~1Ve triangulated 10,023 locations and recovered an additional 1,399 3-D locations from GPS collars. we used aFixed-Kernel estimator to calculate 95%utilization distributions (UD) for home ranges and 50% UDs for cores. Annual home range size of males (5 6.3 6 ~ 7.06 km2) was consistently larger than that of females (20.16 ~ 2.18 km2). Females used smaller home ranges during April-September when they were with kittens (15.64 ~ 2.25 km2), as compared to October-March (26.3 0 ~ 4.03 km2), whereas home ranges of males did not differ between seasons. Similarly, core size of males (8.75 ~ 1.19) was larger than that of females (2.26 ~ 0.25), and females used significantly smaller cores in April-September (1.66 ~ 0.25) as compared to October-March (3.09 ~ 0.49) while males did not. Compositional analysis indicated habitat selection was occurring at both landscape and local scales. Forest habitat was ranked higher than all other habitat classes, at all scales, for females and males. Standardized habitat selection ratios illustrate that female and male bobcats were selecting forest habitat about twice as frequently as any other habitat class, including grassland and CRP. Predictive models indicated that
Scenarios, targets, gaps and costs

This paper explores the connection between human activities and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. t explores the implication of the wide range of emissions scenarios developed by the IPCC in the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios and concludes that a robust finding is that major changes will be required in the global energy system if the concentration of carbon dioxide is eventually to be stabilized.
Functional Diversity of Subalpine Bryophyte Communities in an Oceanic Island (La Réunion)

Abstract Increasing temperature imperils worldwide tropical subalpine and alpine ecosystems with the threat of mountaintop extinctions and a subsequent loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functions. This paper provides a first assessment of functional diversity along a high climatic gradient for bryophytes, which represent a major plant compartment in these ecosystems. The present study takes place on the highlands of the Piton des Neiges volcano, the highest summit of La Réunion Island (Western Indian Ocean). We find a relatively high species richness of bryophytes in these subalpine habitats, with a peak of diversity at 2750 m for the ground-dwelling community. We report a strong linear relationship between functional diversity and species richness for epiphytes. Within the same plant group, the relationship between functional richness, based on eight traits, and elevation differed between the ground-dwelling and epiphytic communities, suggesting that different processes may structure bryophyte species assemblages along this short subalpine climatic gradient. Higher functional redundancy in ground-dwelling bryophyte assemblages indicates that this community may be more robust than epiphytic bryophytes to disturbances in these subalpine ecosystems.
ESCUELA TÉCNICA SUPERIOR DE INGENIERÍAS AGRARIAS

1 1. INTRODUCCIÓN Y ANTECEDENTES . 2 2. OBJETIVOS . 9 3. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS . 10 3.1. MATERIAS PRIMAS . 10 3.2. ÁCIDOS GRASOS . 12 3.3. CAPACIDAD ANTIOXIDANTE . 13 3.4. VITAMINAS . 14 3.5. ANÁLISIS ESTADÍSTICO . 16 4. RESULTADOS Y DISCUSIÓN . 17 4.1. VITAMINAS . 18 4.2. ACTIVIDAD ANTIOXIDANTE . 21 4.3. ÁCIDOS GRASOS . 22 5. CONCLUSIONES . 28 6. BIBLIOGRAFIA . 29
Residual radioactive contamination from decommissioning: Technical basis for translating contamination levels to annual total effective dose equivalent. Final report: Volume 1

This document is the first volume of a three-volume report to provide generic and site-specific estimates of radiation dose for exposures to residual radioactive contamination after the decommissioning of facilities licensed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Details are provided of the generic scenario and pathway modeling analysis. Included are descriptions of the scenarios, models, mathematical formulations, assumptions, and justifications of parameter selections. Volume 1 was produced after consideration of public comments received on the January 1990 review draft. The generic modeling addresses residual radioactive contamination inside buildings and in soils. For buildings, two scenarios are presented to relate volume and surface contamination levels to estimates of the annual total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) or the TEDE (as defined in 10 CFR 20) received during a year of exposure with the conditions defined in the scenarios. Because of concerns regarding potential ground-water contamination from residual radioactive contamination in soil, a generic to permit evaluation of the annual TEDE for drinking water from wells. The generic water-use model was also used in the evaluation of multiple pathways associated with contaminated soil. The generic treatment of potentially complex ground-water systems used here provides a conservative analysis that may only indicate thatmore » additional site data and more sophisticated modeling are warranted. The scenarios, models, mathematical formulations, and selected parameter values are intended to serve as the technical basis for the NRCs derivation of screening values supporting its development of policy applied to residual radioactive contamination from decommissioning. « less
THE USE OF OVERWINTER DRAW DOWN FOR AQUATIC VEGETATION MANAGEMENT1

: Overwinter draw down can be a useful technique for aquatic plant management. Its effectiveness depends largely on the susceptibility of nuisance species to draw down. A single overwinter draw down provided good control of aquatic plants in a flowage dominated by Potamogeton robbinsii Little additional control was gained by a second draw down the following winter. Rapid reinvasion of plants after draw down ceased dictates continued management. To avoid fish kills caused by low dissolved oxygen levels caution is advised when using overwinter draw down. The growth of Zizania aquatica was not negatively influenced by draw down. The influence on water quality of nutrient release from decaying vegetation and exposed bottom sediments was uncertain.
YIELDING OF LOOSE SAND IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRESS CONDITIONS

ABSTRACT Two series of drained and undrained cyclic tests were performed statically on cubic specimens of loose saturated sand, using a true triaxial test apparatus. Changes in three principal stresses were programmed so that they could twice produce two load cycles, each having different directions on the octahedral plane in three principal stress space. The first load cycle was always executed in the direction corresponding to the conventional triaxial compression. The second load cycle was executed in the direction different plane, from that of the first loading. The third and fourth load cycles were carried out in the same directions as the first and the second load cycles, respectively, but with an increased amplitude. Analysis of the drained test results showed that both volumetric and octahedral shear strains produced in the second loading tend to increase as the direction of the second loading deviates from that of the first load cycle. Similar results were also obtained for the pore water pressure and octahedral shear strain behavior in the undrained tests. It was then concluded that the effect of previous load history tends to taper off as the direction of the current loading swerves from that of the previous loading, and when the current loading takes a direction exactly opposite to that of the previous loading, its memory almost completely disappears and the sand behaves as if it were in a virgin state.
An analysis of the possible utility of time-area closures to minimize billfish bycatch by U.S. pelagic longlines

This study examined the relative rates of billfish bycatch and target species catch by areas (1°, 2°, and 5° latitude and longitude) and months in the catch data reported in mandatory log books kept by U.S. pelagic-longline fishermen in order to identify potential time-area strata that could reduce bill- fish bycatch. The 1986-91 mean per- centages identified month-area strata with high percentages of sailfish and marlin bycatch and marlin only bycatch. The analyses indicated that the elimi- nation of effort in cells selected accord- ing to percentages of billfish in the catch could have reduced the 1986-91 billfish bycatch by 50% and the target species from 13.9 to 19.2%, depending on the spatial resolution employed. The corresponding analysis of marlin only indicated a 50% reduction in marlin bycatch could have been attained and a 16.4-20.7% reduction in the target species catch. The time-area closures identified in the 1986-91 logbook data were applied to the data for 1992-95 and provided a test of the spatial and temporal stabilities of these results. For the evaluation of sailfish and marlin combined, the reductions in both bill- fish bycatch and target species catches averaged less than the predicted val- ues, but in all cases billfish were selec- tively protected. For the evaluation of marlin only, the reduction of sailfish bycatch was less than the predicted amount and the reduction of the target species was slightly greater than the predicted value. The agreement be- tween the predicted level of protection for billfish or marlin and the mean value for the 1992-95 test period in- creased with increasing size of the grid. At the 5°cell size, the mean reduction was 22.8% for the targeted species and 48.6% for marlin (compared with pre- dicted values of 20.7 and 50% respec- tively). These results suggest that time and area restrictions on fishing could significantly reduce the bycatch of billfishes in the pelagic-longline fish- eries without equivalent reductions in the catch of target species. merit in reducing bycatch when as- sessed against the effectiveness of other forms of regulatory control such as bycatch limitations and
Soil Erosion Intensity and Runoff on the Djuricka River Basin (North of Montenegro)

Ecological factors, which are the basis for the calculation of soil erosion, are included in the simulation model. Social aspects, such as the attitude of farmers towards practising environmentally sustainable land use techniques, are difficult to analyse because of lack of data and the level of difficulty inherent in connecting natural, economic, and social data together. At the level of the river basin, the use of an IntErO model allowed the quantification of the environmental effects of erosion and the land use planning measures. Maximal outflow (incidence of 100 years) from the river basin Q max , is 240 m 3 /s suggests the possibility of a large flood. The strength of the erosion process was medium, and the erosion type was mixed erosion. The predicted soil losses were 645 m³/km 2 per year. To support the faster renewal of the vegetation and slow down the erosion processes, biological protection measures need to be applied, together with technical ones, notably by using shoulders and ditches to partition water fluxes at the land surface. These would reduce runoff velocity and further support reforestation and the renewal of grass, shrubs and trees.
Palaeoecological insights into the Changhsingian–Induan (latest Permian–earliest Triassic) bivalve fauna at Dongpan, southern Guangxi, South China

Yang, T.L. , He, W.H. , Zhang, K.X. , Wu, S.B. , Zhang, Y. , Yue, M.L. , Wu, H.T. & Xiao, Y.F. , November 2015. Palaeoecological insights into the Changhsingian–Induan (latest Permian–earliest Triassic) bivalve fauna at Dongpan, southern Guangxi, South China. Alcheringa 40, xxx–xxx. ISSN 0311-5518. The Talung Formation (latest Permian) and basal part of Luolou Formation (earliest Triassic) of the Dongpan section have yielded 30 bivalve species in 17 genera. Eight genera incorporating 11 species are systematically described herein, including three new species: Nuculopsis guangxiensis, Parallelodon changhsingensis and Palaeolima fangi. Two assemblages are recognized, i.e., the Hunanopecten exilis–Euchondria fusuiensis assemblage from the Talung Formation and the Claraia dieneri–Claraia griesbachi assemblage from the Luolou Formation. The former is characterized by abundant Euchondria fusuiensis, an endemic species, associated with other common genera, such as Hunanopecten, which make it unique from coeval assemblages of South China. A palaeoecological analysis indicates that the Changhsingian bivalve assemblage at Dongpan is diverse and represented by various life habits characteristic of a complex ecosystem. This also suggests that redox conditions were oxic to suboxic in deep marine environments of the southernmost Yangtze Basin during the late Changhsingian, although several episodes of anoxic perturbations and declines in palaeoproductivity saw deterioratation of local habitats and altered the taxonomic composition or population size of the bivalve fauna. Tinglu Yang [yang@geology.so], School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, 388 Lumo Road, Hongshan, Wuhan 430074, PR China; Weihong He* [whzhang@cug.edu. cn] and Kexin Zhang [kx_zhang@cug.edu. cn], State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, 388 Lumo Road, Hongshan, Wuhan 430074, PR China; Shunbao Wu [shbwu@cug.edu. cn], Yang Zhang [zhangy05@163.com], Mingliang Yue [812182779@qq.com], Huiting Wu [ht_wu415@163.com] and Yifan Xiao [shadowyi@sohu.com], School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, 388 Lumo Road, Hongshan, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
In situ observations on the coupling between hydraulic diffusivity and displacements during fault reactivation in shales

Key questions in fault reactivation in shales relate to the potential for enhanced fluid transport through previously low‐permeability aseismic formations. Here we explore the behavior of a 20 m long N0‐to‐170°, 75‐to‐80°W fault in shales that is critically stressed under a strike‐slip regime (σ1 = 4 ± 2 MPa, horizontal and N162° ± 15°E, σ2 = 3.8 ± 0.4 MPa and σ3 = 2.1 ± 1 MPa, respectively 7–8° inclined from vertical and horizontal and N72°). The fault was reactivated by fluid pressurization in a borehole using a straddle packer system isolating a 2.4 m long injection chamber oriented‐subnormal to the fault surface at a depth of 250 m. A three‐dimensional displacement sensor attached across the fault allowed monitoring fault movements, injection pressure and flow rate. Pressurization induced a hydraulic diffusivity increase from ~2 × 10−9 to ~103 m2 s−1 associated with a complex three‐dimensional fault movement. The shear (x‐, z‐) and fault‐normal (y‐) components (Ux, Uy, and Uz) = (44.0 × 10−6 m, 10.5 × 10−6 m, and 20.0 × 10−6 m) are characterized by much larger shear displacements than the normal opening. Numerical analyses of the experiment show that the fault permeability evolution is controlled by the fault reactivation in shear related to Coulomb failure. The large additional fault hydraulic aperture for fluid flow is not reflected in the total normal displacement that showed a small partly contractile component. This suggests that complex dilatant effects estimated to occur in a plurimeter radius around the injection source affect the flow and slipping patch geometries during fault rupture, controlling the initial slow slip and the strong back slip of the fault following depressurization.
PROGRESSIVE FAILURE AND SCALE EFFECT OF TRAP-DOOR PROBLEMS WITH GRANULAR MATERIALS

The progressive failure and scale effect of trap-door problems were evaluated, by comparing experimental results with finite element analyses employing the elasto-plastic model including the shear band effect. The experiments were performed in passive and active mode by measuring load-displacement relationships and observing shear band developments using two sizes of apparatus (the trap-door width of the smaller one was 5 cm and of the larger one 10 cm.) The load was measured with soil stress measurement cells embedded in the face of the trap-door. The shear band developments were observed using thin horizontal colored sand layers placed in the sand mass. The distribution of earth pressure by finite element analysis achieved good agreement with experimental results. The localized narrow zone of shear strain by the analysis was approximately identical with the observed shear band in both passive and active modes. The scale effect was recognized by the analysis and the experiment only in passive mode.
Evaluating cadastral systems in periods of uncertainty : a study of Cape Town's Xhosa-speaking communities.

ii Acknowledgements iv TABLE OF CONTENTS v List of Figures xiv List of Tables xiv Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations xv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 BACKGROUND 3 1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 3 1.3 CONTEXT OF THE RESEARCH 5 1.3.1 Definitions 5 1.3.1.1 Informal settlement 5 1.3.1.2 Effectiveness 6 1.3.1.3 Cadastral system 6 1.3. 2 Cape Town’s Social History 6 1.3. 2.1 Colonial settlement to democracy 7 1.3. 2.2 The Coloureds 8 1.3. 2.3 The Xhosa-speakers 8 1.3. 2.4 History: summary and analysis 13 1.3. 3 Cape Town’s Demographic Profile 14 1.3. 3.1 Demographic profile: summary and analysis 16 1.3. 4 Land Policy Challenges and Objectives for the Cadastral System 16 1.3. 5 South Africa’s Cadastral System and Security of Title 18 1.3. 5.1 Security of title defined 18 1.3. 5.2 Cadastral system inadequacies 19 1.3. 6 Land Tenure in Urban African Communities 20 1.3. 6.1 Sub-Saharan Africa 20 1.3. 6.2 South Africa’s Urban Nguni Population 20 1.3. 7 The Social Change Model 21 1.3. 7.1 Communal and individual bias in land tenure 22 1.3. 7.2 Probation and sponsorship 23 1.3. 7.3 Allegiance and affiliation 23 1.3. 7.4 Social change model: summary and analysis 24 1.3. 8 Family rights and Individual rights 25 1.3. 9 High Costs Militate against an Effective Cadastral System 27 1.3. 9.1 Costs: summary and analysis 28 1.3.10 Analysis and Relevance to Research 29 1.4 HYPOTHESIS: THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS 30 1.5 RESEARCH METHOD 31 1.6 ASSUMPTIONS 34 1.7 ORGANISATION OF THE DOCUMENT 34
Assessment of the Need for and Effectiveness of Re-Branding in Nigeria

Image of a nation might as well be the destiny of a nation. Nigeria’s disfigured image in the global village has become an insignia of dishonest, dishonor and disrespect; this is outright humiliation of a nation of almost 150 million people. Majority of Nigerians are industrious, God-fearing and law abiding people. But a tiny minority is destroying the image of the country and the governance ineptitude is adding salt to the injury. Nigeria is expected to be a model for the rest of Africa, but it has lost this pride of place because countries like Ghana are occupying the front row and have left the back bench for Nigeria. The campaign for re-branding Nigeria as a panacea for correcting the effects of the global economic meltdown has attracted argument from varying quarters since its launch in March 2009. The debate has not been about its relevance but more of its suitability to the country now in view of some other compelling issues. This stimulates the interest of this study, which is to examine the need and effectiveness of re-branding in the country. It examines the concept of re-branding with the aim of putting it in clear perspective, marshal and discusses reasons that collectively exert a compelling force on the Nigerian nation to re-brand now. Keyword: Rebranding, Image, Marketing, Strategy, Effectiveness and Nigerian Economy
The status of shark and ray fishery resources in the Gulf of California: applied research to improve management and conservation

Seasonal surveys were conducted during 1998–1999 in Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa to determine the extent and activities of artisanal elasmobranch fisheries in the Gulf of California. One hundred and forty–seven fishing sites, or camps, were documented, the majority of which (n = 83) were located in Baja California Sur. Among camps with adequate fisheries information, the great majority (85.7%) targeted elasmobranchs during some part of the year. Most small, demersal sharks and rays were landed in mixed species fisheries that also targeted demersal teleosts, but large sharks were usually targeted in directed drift gillnet or, to a lesser extent, surface longline fisheries. Artisanal fishermen were highly opportunistic, and temporally switched targets depending on the local productivity of teleost, invertebrate, and elasmobranch fishery resources. Major fisheries for small sharks ( 1.5 m, “tiburon”) were minor components of artisanal elasmobranch fisheries in Sonora and Sinaloa, but were commonly targeted during summer and early autumn in Baja California and Baja California Sur. The pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) and silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) were most commonly landed in Baja California, whereas a diverse assemblage of pelagic and large coastal sharks was noted among Baja California Sur landings. Rays dominated summer landings in Baja California and Sinaloa, when elevated catch rates of the shovelnose guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus, 13.2 individuals/vessel/trip) and golden cownose ray (Rhinoptera steindachneri, 11.1 individuals/vesse/trip) primarily supported the respective fisheries. The Sonoran artisanal elasmobranch fishery was the most expansive recorded during this study, and rays (especially R. productus) dominated spring and summer landings in this state. Seasonal catch rates of small demersal sharks and rays were considerably greater in Sonora than in other surveyed states. Many tiburon populations (e.g., C. leucas, C. limbatus, C. obscurus, Galeocerdo cuvier) have likely been overfished, possibly shifting effort towards coastal populations of cazon and rays. Management recommendations, including conducting demographic analyses using available life history data, determining and protecting nursery areas, and enacting seasonal closures in areas of elasmobranch aggregation (e.g., reproduction, feeding), are proposed. Without effective, enforceable management to sustain or rebuild targeted elasmobranch populations in the Gulf of California, collapse of many fisheries is a likely outcome. (PDF contains 243 pages)