bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phosphorus source areas in a dairy catchment in Otago, New Zealand
Authors: Lucci G. M. , McDowell R. W. , Condron L. M.
Published: May 2013

It is important to recognise source areas of phosphorus (P) in agricultural catchments and to understand how they contribute to catchment losses of P in order to effectively target mitigation strategies to decrease losses to surface waters. In a small dairy catchment (4.1 ha), soil physical properties and overland flow from pasture, a laneway, and around a watering trough were measured, together with subsurface flows from pasture and catchment discharge. Soil measured around the trough and in the laneway was found to be enriched in Olsen P (56 and 201 mg P/kg, respectively) compared with the pasture (24 mg P/kg), as well as having a greater bulk density resulting from more frequent use by animals. Dissolved P losses from lane and trough plots were greatly enhanced via dung. At the catchment scale, sources and transport processes resulted in losses mainly in the particulate P form (0.21 mg/L), while dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentrations were enriched during storm events (0.08 mg/L). Subsurface flow was found to be an important contributor of discharge and likely P losses, and this warrants further investigation. The scaling up of overland-flow plot data suggested that the laneway contributed up to 89% of the DRP load when surface overland flow was likely. This represents a substantial source of P loss on dairy farms. Additionally, the variation of sources and transport processes with season adds another aspect to the critical source area concept, and suggests that given the loss during summer and high algal availability of dissolved P, mitigation strategies should target decreasing dissolved P loss from the laneway.
Effects of fire frequency on prescribed fire behaviour and soil temperatures in dry dipterocarp forests
Authors: Wanthongchai Kobsak , Goldammer Johann G. , Bauhus Jürgen
Published: May 2013

This study investigated how fire frequencies and fuel loads influence fire behaviour and soil heating in dry dipterocarp forests of the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. Fire behaviour and soil temperatures during burning were measured on a series of plots with different past fire frequencies ranging from unburned control, to rarely, infrequently and frequently burned, representing fire occurrences in 0, 1, 2 and 7 out of the past 10 years respectively. The pre-burning loads of fine fuel including grasses, herbs, shrubs, seedlings, saplings and litters increased with the length of the previous fire-free interval. The rate of spread, flame height, fireline intensity and maximum soil temperatures at any soil depths were not significantly different between the past burning regimes, so fires were classed as low-intensity and low-severity surface fire. The longest duration of heating with temperatures >60°C at ground level occurred at the rarely burned site (~14 min), followed by the infrequently burned site (~12 min) and the frequently burned site (~8 min). However, the duration of heating above any given critical temperature threshold at 2- and 5-cm soil depths was less than 1 min across all regimes. From a fuel management perspective, there does not appear to be a need to carry out prescribed burns more frequently than every 6–7 years, because fine fuel loads did not continue to accumulate substantially beyond 7 years after a fire.
Signals of change in tropical savanna woodland vertebrate fauna 5 years after cessation of livestock grazing
Authors: Kutt A. S. , Vanderduys E. P. , Perry J. J. , Perkins G. C. , Kemp J. E. , Bateman B. L. , Kanowski J. , Jensen R.
Published: May 2013

Context
There is growing evidence that vertebrates inhabiting the extensive savannas of northern Australia are undergoing a widespread decline as a result of the effects of anthropogenic land management such as the grazing of domestic stock. Despite the ubiquity of pastoral grazing in the Australian savannas, few studies have examined the changes in terrestrial vertebrate fauna following destocking.

Aims
The present study monitored the response of birds, mammals and reptiles to destocking of a newly acquired conservation reserve in north-eastern Australia.

Methods
The vertebrate fauna was sampled over a 5-year period. Standardised 1-ha survey was conducted twice a year in 2006, 2007 and 2010, at 40 sites representing six habitat types.

Key results
The fauna assemblage, the abundance and richness of major taxa, and the abundance of a suite of individual species were found to vary significantly with time since destocking. Although some of the observed trends were consistent with previously reported responses of vertebrates to grazing, in general species richness and abundance did not increase linearly over time since destocking, with an overall decline in the first year, and an increase in the subsequent survey. Mammals remained at very low abundance and displayed a trend contrary to that for birds and reptiles, and variation was often confounded by habitat type.

Conclusions
In general, where there has been a long history of pastoral land management, destocking alone may not induce short-term increases in the vertebrate fauna thought to be affected by grazing in Australian savannas.

Implications
Monitoring the outcomes of conservation management activity is a critical component of understanding the success, failures and adaptation needed to maximise the costs and benefits of conservation investment. The recovery of the vertebrate fauna thought to be of conservation concern in relatively intensively used, long-grazed landscapes may be lengthy and contingent on other factors, such as periods of favourable weather, or understanding the interactive effects of herbivore removal, fire pattern and feral predators. In such landscapes, it is possible that recovery of some elements of the vertebrate fauna may not occur without deliberate interventions, such as reintroductions or intense predator control.
Effect of paved road density on abundance of white-tailed deer
Authors: Munro Keith G. , Bowman Jeff , Fahrig Lenore
Published: May 2013

Context
Although ~3% of white-tailed deer are killed on roads each year, no previous study has tested for an effect of roads on deer abundance. This is difficult to do because road density is generally negatively correlated with deer habitat availability.

Aims
Our goal was to determine whether roads affect deer abundance.

Methods
First, we used an existing dataset from Pennsylvania, USA, to determine a range of paved road densities representing a significant range in deer per capita mortality. We then conducted a field study in eastern Ontario, Canada, with sample sites for relative deer abundance selected such that (1) road density in the surrounding landscapes varied over this same range, and (2) there were low correlations across landscapes between road density and deer habitat availability. The latter allowed us to isolate the effects of roads from the effects of habitat on deer abundance. We indexed relative deer abundance using a combination of pellet samples and track counts.

Key results
Unexpectedly, we observed a positive relationship between relative deer abundance and paved road density.

Conclusions
We speculate that this positive relationship is due to (1) reduced deer predation and/or perceived predation risk and/or hunting pressure in landscapes with higher road density and/or (2) provision of a resource or service by roads, the benefits of which outweigh the road mortality.

Implications
We found no evidence that road mortality places deer populations at risk of decline, at least over the range of road density values in our study. Therefore we conclude that road mortality is not a conservation concern for white-tailed deer in ecological contexts similar to our study areas.
Rabbits: manageable environmental pests or participants in new Australian ecosystems?
Authors: Cooke Brian D.
Published: May 2013

Some theorists argue that plant and animal species introduced to new localities should be controlled only if they cause damage and not because they originated in another country; this warrants greater acceptance of introduced species as participants in new ecological associations in a rapidly changing world. To evaluate this concept and its relevance in setting directions for rabbit control in Australia, this idea is not only reviewed against information on the rabbit’s impact in Australian ecosystems but also against management policies, industrial drivers and social expectations. It is concluded that wild rabbits hold many natural Australian ecosystems in a degraded state and any beneficial ecological roles rabbits provide are small by comparison. Furthermore, rabbits can be controlled adequately to initiate ecosystem restoration. The idea that introduced rabbits should be more readily accepted as participants in new ecosystems is strongly counter-argued. Rabbits are not harmless passengers in Australian ecosystems and, to achieve ecosystem recovery, a high level of rabbit control is necessary.
Publish or perish: why it’s important to publicise how, and if, research activities affect animals
Authors: McMahon Clive R. , Hindell Mark A. , Harcourt Robert G.
Published: May 2013

Wildlife researchers and conservation biologists are encountering growing research difficulties due to strong and effective advocacy of animal welfare concerns. However, collecting information on the basic biology of animals, which is often essential to effective conservation and management, frequently involves invasive research. The latter is unacceptable to some animal welfare advocates, even if it ultimately leads to better conservation outcomes. For effective biodiversity conservation it is imperative that conservation and wildlife researchers lucidly present the case for their research on individual animals. This requires conservation biologists and the research community in general, to present these arguments in the public domain as well as in peer-reviewed literature. Moreover, it is important to measure how these activities affect animals. Only then can we show that high quality research activities often have little or no effects on animal vital rates and performance.
Satellite tracking of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) following stranding and release in Tasmania, Australia
Authors: Gales Rosemary , Alderman Rachael , Thalmann Sam , Carlyon Kris
Published: May 2013

Context
Mass strandings of cetaceans occur frequently in Tasmania, Australia, with efforts made by authorities to rescue stranded animals when possible. Determining the fate of rescued cetaceans following a stranding event is essential to assess individual survival and the effectiveness of rescue procedures; however, few studies have monitored animals post-release and their fate remains largely unknown. Satellite telemetry of released cetaceans provides a means of assessing the short- to medium-term success of stranding management techniques.

Aims
To examine the short- to medium-term survival and at-sea movement and behaviour of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) on their release following a mass-stranding event.

Methods
We deployed satellite transmitters on 5 of 11 long-finned pilot whales returned to sea after a mass-stranding event in Tasmania in November 2008. The transmitters, incorporating a corrosive link, were attached to the dorsal fin of two adult and three subadult whales before release. The resulting telemetry data were examined to infer behaviour of the tagged individuals post-release, including swim speeds and how individuals moved in relation to each other over time.

Key results
Tracking data established the success of the rescue attempt and confirmed survival of stranded individuals in the short term (12–32 days) following release. Although conditions required whales to be released individually, data showed the tracked whales re-united immediately after release. A subsequent aerial survey revealed that they had formed a larger group with six additional whales which then separated and reformed.

Conclusions
Short-term survival of long-finned pilot whales following mass stranding and rescue was confirmed and behaviour was consistent with known behavioural information for this species. Importantly, the present study demonstrated physical recovery from a traumatic event in spite of delayed rescue and that individuals successfully re-united following individual release.

Implications
The present study confirmed that the rescue procedures employed were successful in the management and release of mass-stranded long-finned pilot whales, at least in the short term. It also provided some insight into the at-sea behaviour of this highly social and gregarious species and supported the theory behind stranding management techniques and the considerable resources and effort required for rescue of stranded cetaceans.
Effect of traffic noise on black-faced spoonbills in the Taipa–Coloane Wetland Reserve, Macao
Authors: Zhang Min , Cheong Kuaitat , Leong Kunfong , Zou Fasheng
Published: May 2013

Context
Nearly 20% of black-faced spoonbills (Platalea minor), a globally endangered species, winter along the coasts of the Pearl River Estuary, China. However, these wintering habitats are threatened by urban development. Especially in Macao, road construction for the tourism industry has resulted in habitat deterioration.

Aims
Our study aimed to assess the effects of traffic noise on the distribution and behaviour of black-faced spoonbills in the Taipa–Coloane Wetland Reserve, Macao SAR.

Methods
We built a traffic-noise prediction model for habitat-suitability division. Then we investigated the relationship between traffic noise and diurnal of spoonbill behaviours by collecting traffic-noise data on surrounding roads and observing the activity of black-faced spoonbills in the area over two winters, from 2007 to 2009.

Key results
The maximum number of individuals present in a single month was 50 in the winter of 2007–08 (in February) and 52 in the winter of 2008–09 (in January). Continuous traffic noise was 46.5 and 45.4 dB(A), respectively, at roosting sites in two ecological zones. On the basis of the prediction model, only 10.8 of 30.3 ha were suitable for spoonbills, with noise levels lower than 47 dB(A). Most of the time, the spoonbills were acclimated to the traffic and were not alarmed. However, heavy trucks with a high noise level of 81.8 ± 2.3 dB(A) sometimes disrupted spoonbill behaviour.

Conclusions
The traffic noise around the Taipa–Coloane Wetland Reserve did exist but did not substantially affect black-faced spoonbills. For the birds mainly roosting in a quieter area, the small area of suitable habitat may indirectly limit population growth.

Implications
The fences around Ecological Zone I were successful in minimising visual stimuli from human activities and passing cars. To maintain the suitability of the winter habitat in Macao, restrictions on traffic flow, especially on heavy truck volume, are necessary for spoonbill conservation.
Biodiversity protection prioritisation: a 25-year review
Authors: Cullen Ross
Published: May 2013

There are insufficient resources available globally, nationally and in many regions, to conserve all species, habitats and ecosystems. Prioritisation of targets or actions is a rational response to resource scarcity. Prioritisation can be directed at areas for reservation, species, habitats or ecosystems for management, and threat management actions. The scale at which prioritisation is applied is a fundamental decision, and the range includes global, national, regional and patch. Choice of scale influences availability of data and methods available for prioritisation. Since 1986 availability of data, computing power and expertise available have all improved globally and in many countries. Approaches to prioritisation have evolved during the past 25 years as researchers from several disciplines, including biology, ecology, decision sciences, mathematics and economics, have sought ways to achieve greater output from the resources available for biodiversity conservation. This review surveys the literature and groups prioritisation approaches into the following four categories: reserves and reserve selection, prescriptive costed biodiversity prioritisation, ranked costed biodiversity projects and contracted costed conservation actions. A concluding section considers the limitations of current prioritisation approaches and points to areas for further development.
The response of pygmy bluetongue lizards to simulated grazing in the field during three drought years
Authors: Pettigrew Melissa , Bull C. Michael
Published: May 2013

Context
Grazing by domestic stock can directly influence and shape the functions of an ecosystem. Most remaining remnant native grasslands in Australia are under some form of grazing management, with some possible adverse impacts for endemic grassland biota. For the endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard (Tiliqua adelaidensis), grazing of its remnant native grassland habitat has been seen as a potential conservation threat.

Aim
We aimed to investigate whether lizards altered their basking and foraging behaviour as a response to simulated grazing of the grassland habitat surrounding their burrows.

Methods
We used field manipulations over 3 years event by manually removing above-ground vegetation in 1 m2 around occupied lizard burrows, to simulate intense grazing events. We video-recorded lizard responses to these manipulations. We filmed lizards before and after the simulated grazing event and monitored basking and foraging response. We also simultaneously filmed a control group of lizards that were not exposed to a simulated grazing event.

Key results
Although overall time spent basking did not differ between treatment and control groups, the lizards spent more of their basking time completely emerged (bold basking) in the grazing treatment, suggesting they changed behaviour after simulated grazing. Perhaps they were more confident of evading predators that they could more clearly see approaching. In one season lizards made more attempts to catch prey in the grazed treatment than in a control treatment following the treatment, suggesting that grazing might enhance visibility for the ambush predation method that these lizards use.

Conclusions
The results suggest that grazing may produce some benefits for lizards already established in burrows. This contrasts with some previous results and suggests that management of grazing regimes requires careful consideration of the conditions currently prevalent. In this case, the study was conducted during a drought period, and different results might have emerged in higher rainfall years.

Implications
Grazing management for lizard conservation requires detailed understanding of the complex relationships among lizard behaviour, vegetation cover and invertebrate prey availability.
User-based design specifications for the ultimate camera trap for wildlife research
Authors: Meek P. D. , Pittet A.
Published: May 2013

Context
The adoption of camera trapping in place of traditional wildlife survey methods has become common despite inherent flaws in equipment and a dearth of research to test their fit for purpose. Overwhelmingly, the development of commercial camera traps has been driven by the needs of North American hunters. Camera-trap models and features are influenced by these market forces that drive the changes in designs as new technologies develop. This focus on recreation, rather than research has often frustrated wildlife professionals as the equipment has rarely met minimum standards for scientific application.

Aims
We investigated the demand for white-flash camera traps around the world to highlight the demand for such camera traps in wildlife research to the manufacturing industry. We also compiled the camera-trap specifications required by scientists through the world in an effort to influence and improve the quality of camera traps for research.

Methods
We carried out an internet-based survey of biologists, zoologists, conservationists and other wildlife researchers by using a questionnaire to gather baseline market data on camera-trap use and demand. We also conducted an informal survey of scientists via email and in person, asking for their preferences and features of an ultimate camera-trap design.

Key result
Infrared camera traps are widely used and more so than white-flash camera traps, although the demand for white flash remains significant. Cost, speed, size, ease of use, versatility and the range of settings were the key features identified in a good camera trap.

Conclusions
The present paper describes and discusses the desired features and specifications as defined by over 150 scientists using camera traps around the world. Data gathered also provide some insight into the market demand for camera traps by biologists, zoologists, conservationists and other wildlife researchers around the world. These design features are discussed under the guise of the ultimate camera trap for wildlife research, with the disclaimer that no such camera trap currently exists.

Implications
The information provided in the paper has and will be a useful guide to future camera-trap designs, although it is unlikely that all of the features required will ever be produced in a cheap camera trap.
Stat2 loss leads to cytokine-independent, cell-mediated lethality in LPS-induced sepsis
Authors: Alazawi William , Heath Helen , Waters Jennifer A. , Woodfin Abigail , O’Brien Alastair J. , Scarzello Anthony J. , Ma Bin , Lopez-Otalora Yolanda , Jacobs Michael , Petts Gemma , Goldin Robert D. , Nourshargh Sussan , Gamero Ana M. , Foster Graham R.
Published: May 2013

Deregulated Toll-like receptor (TLR)-triggered inflammatory responses that depend on NF-κB are detrimental to the host via excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α. Stat2 is a critical component of type I IFN signaling, but it is not thought to participate in TLR signaling. Our study shows that LPS-induced lethality inStat2−/−mice is accelerated as a result of increased cellular transmigration. Blocking intercellular adhesion molecule-1 prevents cellular egress and confers survival ofStat2−/−mice. The main determinant of cellular egress inStat2−/−mice is the genotype of the host and not the circulating leukocyte. Surprisingly, lethality and cellular egress observed onStat2−/−mice are not associated with excessive increases in classical sepsis cytokines or chemokines. Indeed, in the absence of Stat2, cytokine production in response to multiple TLR agonists is reduced. We find that Stat2 loss leads to reduced expression of NF-κB target genes by affecting nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Thus, our data reveal the existence of a different mechanism of LPS-induced lethality that is independent of NF-κB triggered cytokine storm but dependent on cellular egress.
From the Classroom to the Courtroom
Authors: de Jongh Elena M.
Published: May 2013

From the Classroom to the Courtroom: A guide to interpreting in the U.S. justice system offers a wealth of information that will assist aspiring court interpreters in providing linguistic minorities with access to fair and expeditious judicial proceedings. The guide will familiarize prospective court interpreters and students interested in court interpreting with the nature, purpose and language of pretrial, trial and post-trial proceedings. Documents, dialogues and monologues illustrate judicial procedures; the description of court hearings with transcripts creates a realistic model of the stages involved in live court proceedings.

The innovative organization of this guide mirrors the progression of criminal cases through the courts and provides readers with an accessible, easy-to-follow format. It explains and illustrates court procedure as well as provides interpreting exercises based on authentic materials from each successive stage. This novel organization of materials around the stages of the judicial process also facilitates quick reference without the need to review the entire volume — an additional advantage that makes this guide the ideal interpreters’ reference manual.

Supplementary instructional aids include recordings in English and Spanish and a glossary of selected legal terms in context.
Europeanization, State-building and democratization in the Western Balkans
Authors: Keil Soeren
Published: May 2013

The Western Balkans have seen rapid changes since the end of the violent conflicts in the 1990s. The European Union (EU) has been one of the main drivers for change, focusing on the political, economic and social transformation of the region to prepare the countries for membership in the Union. This introduction to the special issue will clarify the key terms and their interaction in the Western Balkans. EU enlargement has never before been this complex and inter-connected with processes of state-building and democratization. The focus on conditionality as the main tool of the EU in the region has had positive and negative effects. It can be argued that the EU is actively involved in state-building processes and therefore the termEU Member State Buildingwill be used to explain the engagement of the Union with the countries in the region. This paper will discuss the concept of EU Member State Building, its potential and its pitfalls. It will be demonstrated that the stabilization of the region is unlikely to take place without an active role for the EU; however, the current approach has reached its limits and it is time to think about alternative options to integrate the Western Balkans into European structures.
Working Memory for Cross-Domain Sequences
Authors: Farrell Simon , Oberauer Klaus
Published: May 2013

How is information from different content domains bound together into a representation of the whole sequence? Several theories predict that mixing information from different domains speciﬁcally impairs the ordering of information from different domains, whereas ordering within domains might be enhanced. In contrast, domain-general models—in which items from different domains are simply assumed to be less confusable—predict that mixing items from different domains enhances ordering, as the list items will on average be less confusable. The results of an experiment showed an overall advantage for mixed over pure lists in ordering information, supporting the domain-general viewpoint. Simulations with a representative domain-general model—the start–end model of Henson [(1998). Short-term memory for serial order: The start-end model. Cognitive Psychology, 36, 73–137] —showed that the model gave a satisfactory account of the data. Together, the data and simulations lend evidence to the idea that a domain-general mechanism is responsible for ordering stimuli from different domains, and that domain-speciﬁc effects are attributable to the relative similarity of item representations.
The influence of music-elicited emotions and relative pitch on absolute pitch memory for familiar melodies
Authors: Jakubowski Kelly , Müllensiefen Daniel
Published: May 2013

Levitin's findings that nonmusicians could produce from memory the absolute pitches of self-selected pop songs have been widely cited in the music psychology literature. These findings suggest that latent absolute pitch (AP) memory may be a more widespread trait within the population than traditional AP labelling ability. However, it has been left unclear what factors may facilitate absolute pitch retention for familiar pieces of music. The aim of the present paper was to investigate factors that may contribute to latent AP memory using Levitin's sung production paradigm for AP memory and comparing results to the outcomes of a pitch labelling task, a relative pitch memory test, measures of music-induced emotions, and various measures of participants' musical backgrounds. Our results suggest that relative pitch memory and the quality and degree of music-elicited emotions impact on latent AP memory.
Evidence for the dissemination of cryptic non-coding RNAs transcribed from intronic and intergenic segments by retroposition
Authors: Hahn Yoonsoo
Published: May 2013

Motivation: Insertion of DNA segments is one mechanism by which genomes evolve. The bulk of genomic segments are now known to be transcribed into long and short non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), promoter-associated transcripts and enhancer-templated transcripts. These various cryptic ncRNAs are thought to be dispersed in the human and other genomes by retroposition.

Results: In this study, I report clear evidence for dissemination of cryptic ncRNAs transcribed from intronic and intergenic segments by retroposition. I used highly stringent conditions to find recently retroposed ncRNAs that had a poly(A) tract and were flanked by target site duplication. I identified 73 instances of retroposition in the human, mouse, and rat genomes (12, 36 and 25 instances, respectively). The inserted segments, in some cases, served as a novel exon or promoter for the associated gene, resulting in novel transcript variants. Some disseminated sequences showed sequence conservation across animals, implying a possible regulatory role. My results indicate that retroposition is one of the mechanisms for dispersion of ncRNAs. I propose that these newly inserted segments may play a role in genome evolution by potentially functioning as novel exons, promoters or enhancers.

Contact:  yoonsoo.hahn@gmail.com

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Memory decay and susceptibility to amnesia dissociate punishment- from relief-learning
Authors: Diegelmann Sören , Preuschoff Stephan , Appel Mirjam , Niewalda Thomas , Gerber Bertram , Yarali Ayse
Published: May 2013

Painful events shape future behaviour in two ways: stimuli associated with pain onset subsequently support learned avoidance (i.e. punishment-learning) because they signal future, upcoming pain. Stimuli associated with pain offset in turn signal relief and later on support learned approach (i.e. relief-learning). The relative strengths of such punishment- and relief-learning can be crucial for the adaptive organization of behaviour in the aftermath of painful events. Using
Drosophila
, we compare punishment- and relief-memories in terms of their temporal decay and sensitivity to retrograde amnesia. During the first 75 min following training, relief-memory is stable, whereas punishment-memory decays to half of the initial score. By 24 h after training, however, relief-memory is lost, whereas a third of punishment-memory scores still remain. In accordance with such rapid temporal decay from 75 min on, retrograde amnesia erases relief-memory but leaves a half of punishment-memory scores intact. These findings suggest differential mechanistic bases for punishment- and relief-memory, thus offering possibilities for separately interfering with either of them.
In search of the pitching momentum that enables some lizards to sustain bipedal running at constant speeds
Authors: Van Wassenbergh Sam , Aerts Peter
Published: May 2013

The forelimbs of lizards are often lifted from the ground when they start sprinting. Previous research pointed out that this is a consequence of the propulsive forces from the hindlimbs. However, despite forward acceleration being hypothesized as necessary to lift the head, trunk and forelimbs, some species of agamids, teiids and basilisks sustain running in a bipedal posture at a constant speed for a relatively long time. Biomechanical modelling of steady bipedal running in the agamidCtenophorus cristatusnow shows that a combination of three mechanisms must be present to generate the angular impulse needed to cancel or oppose the effect of gravity. First, the trunk must be lifted significantly to displace the centre of mass more towards the hip joint. Second, the nose-up pitching moment resulting from aerodynamic forces exerted at the lizard's surface must be taken into account. Third, the vertical ground-reaction forces at the hindlimb must show a certain degree of temporal asymmetry with higher forces closer to the instant of initial foot contact. Such asymmetrical vertical ground-reaction force profiles, which differ from the classical spring-mass model of bipedal running, seem inherent to the windmilling, splayed-legged running style of lizards.
Analytical expressions of variability in ecosystem structure and function obtained from three-dimensional stochastic vegetation modelling
Authors: Good Stephen P. , Rodriguez-Iturbe I. , Caylor K. K.
Published: May 2013

Whole ecosystem exchange of water, carbon and energy is predominately determined by complex leaf-level processes occurring at individual plants. Interaction between individuals results in a distribution of environmental conditions that drive a variety of nonlinear response functions such as transpiration and photosynthesis. The nonlinearity of biophysical processes requires higher-order statistical descriptions of micro-environment distributions in order to accurately determine the landscape-scale mean functional response. We present a mathematical framework for describing vegetation structure based on the density, dispersion, size distribution and allometry of individuals within a landscape. Using three-dimensional stochastic vegetation modelling, we develop analytic expressions of the second-order statistics of vegetation canopies, namely the mean and variance of leaf area density and leaf area index with height. These expressions also allow for the approximation of the distribution of beam penetration and sunfleck statistics through the canopy as a function of height. Finally, we demonstrate how landscape-scale fluxes are strongly affected by the variability in canopy micro-environments, and how stochastic vegetation modelling improves flux estimates relative to traditional homogeneous canopy models.
The impact of climate change on the structure of Pleistocene food webs across the mammoth steppe
Authors: Yeakel Justin D. , Guimarães Paulo R. , Bocherens Hervé , Koch Paul L.
Published: May 2013

Species interactions form food webs, impacting community structure and, potentially, ecological dynamics. It is likely that global climatic perturbations that occur over long periods of time have a significant influence on species interaction patterns. Here, we integrate stable isotope analysis and network theory to reconstruct patterns of trophic interactions for six independent mammalian communities that inhabited mammoth steppe environments spanning western Europe to eastern Alaska (Beringia) during the Late Pleistocene. We use a Bayesian mixing model to quantify the contribution of prey to the diets of local predators, and assess how the structure of trophic interactions changed across space and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a global climatic event that severely impacted mammoth steppe communities. We find that large felids had diets that were more constrained than those of co-occurring predators, and largely influenced by an increase inRangiferabundance after the LGM. Moreover, the structural organization of Beringian and European communities strongly differed: compared with Europe, species interactions in Beringian communities before—and possibly after—the LGM were highly modular. We suggest that this difference in modularity may have been driven by the geographical insularity of Beringian communities.
Competitive and demographic leverage points of community shifts under climate warming
Authors: Sorte Cascade J. B. , White J. Wilson
Published: May 2013

Accelerating rates of climate change and a paucity of whole-community studies of climate impacts limit our ability to forecast shifts in ecosystem structure and dynamics, particularly because climate change can lead to idiosyncratic responses via both demographic effects and altered species interactions. We used a multispecies model to predict which processes and species' responses are likely to drive shifts in the composition of a space-limited benthic marine community. Our model was parametrized from experimental manipulations of the community. Model simulations indicated shifts in species dominance patterns as temperatures increase, with projected shifts in composition primarily owing to the temperature dependence of growth, mortality and competition for three critical species. By contrast, warming impacts on two other species (rendering them weaker competitors for space) and recruitment rates of all species were of lesser importance in determining projected community changes. Our analysis reveals the importance of temperature-dependent competitive interactions for predicting effects of changing climate on such communities. Furthermore, by identifying processes and species that could disproportionately leverage shifts in community composition, our results contribute to a mechanistic understanding of climate change impacts, thereby allowing more insightful predictions of future biodiversity patterns.
Humans exploit the biomechanics of bipedal gait during visually guided walking over complex terrain
Authors: Matthis Jonathan Samir , Fajen Brett R.
Published: May 2013

How do humans achieve such remarkable energetic efficiency when walking over complex terrain such as a rocky trail? Recent research in biomechanics suggests that the efficiency of human walking over flat, obstacle-free terrain derives from the ability to exploit the physical dynamics of our bodies. In this study, we investigated whether this principle also applies to visually guided walking over complex terrain. We found that when humans can see the immediate foreground as little as two step lengths ahead, they are able to choose footholds that allow them to exploit their biomechanical structure as efficiently as they can with unlimited visual information. We conclude that when humans walk over complex terrain, they use visual information from two step lengths ahead to choose footholds that allow them to approximate the energetic efficiency of walking in flat, obstacle-free environments.
Inferring patterns of influenza transmission in swine from multiple streams of surveillance data
Authors: Strelioff Christopher C. , Vijaykrishna Dhanasekaran , Riley Steven , Guan Yi , Peiris J. S. Malik , Lloyd-Smith James O.
Published: May 2013

Swine populations are known to be an important source of new human strains of influenza A, including those responsible for global pandemics. Yet our knowledge of the epidemiology of influenza in swine is dismayingly poor, as highlighted by the emergence of the 2009 pandemic strain and the paucity of data describing its origins. Here, we analyse a unique dataset arising from surveillance of swine influenza at a Hong Kong abattoir from 1998 to 2010. We introduce a state–space model that estimates disease exposure histories by joint inference from multiple modes of surveillance, integrating both virological and serological data. We find that an observed decrease in virus isolation rates is not due to a reduction in the regional prevalence of influenza. Instead, a more likely explanation is increased infection of swine in production farms, creating greater immunity to disease early in life. Consistent with this, we find that the weekly risk of exposure on farms equals or exceeds the exposure risk during transport to slaughter. We discuss potential causes for these patterns, including competition between influenza strains and shifts in the Chinese pork industry, and suggest opportunities to improve knowledge and reduce prevalence of influenza in the region.
Policies and problems of online higher education in China: what we can learn from the development of “internet colleges”
Authors: Zhang Gaoming , Zhao Yong , Li Ning
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The relatively short history of internet colleges in China offers a glimpse of the potential of online education in the country and also reveals many of the problems involved in institutionalizing online education in an established system. This paper aims to present the development of online higher education in China by reviewing the development of “internet colleges”, examine the unique features of online higher education and the challenges it faces, and discuss the future directions of online higher education in China.

Design/methodology/approach

By reviewing major policies on online education in China and the development of “internet colleges” in the past two decades, this paper reviews the development of online higher education in China.

Findings

The development of online higher education in China has unique features: central control and the support from learning support centers affiliated with “internet colleges”. To further develop online higher education in China, it has to address two major challenges it is facing now: perceived low quality and prestige, and limited opportunities for international collaboration. Some of the problems are universal, such as quality assurance and the perception of quality and prestige. Some are unique to China, such as the direct involvement of the Ministry of Education in setting guidelines and regulations about online educational programs (though similar problems could arise in other centralized education systems where the government, rather than the market and the public, plays a major role).

Originality/value

The vast educational market in China and the potential of online education also present interesting opportunities for foreign higher education institutions.
Expansion of higher education and the employment crisis: policy innovations in China
Authors: Wang Dan , Liu Dian , Lai Chun
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to review policy innovations in China for addressing the graduate unemployment crisis that has been created by the expansion of higher education in the past decade.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors draw on government documents, research findings, and mass media reports to highlight the key measures of the Chinese government to alleviate the over‐education problem and to improve college graduates' employment prospects.

Findings

The review describes government efforts both at the institutional level to enhance student employability and at the national level to create alternative employment channels. The Chinese experiences show that the challenges posed by the graduate employment crisis may turn out to be a new opportunity to reform higher education in order to better address the needs unique to a country's own society.

Social implications

The review of the Chinese case will inspire policy makers in other countries to seek alternative routes for the development of their own higher education.

Originality/value

This is the first study of its kind to address the recent policy innovations and their implications for potential reform.
Overcoming divides
Authors: Poli Roberto
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain why finding a theory for futures studies is such a demanding task. In particular, the paper paves the way towards a theoretical framework that goes beyond both positivism and anti‐positivism.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses a network of mutually interlinked concepts, including: levels of reality; parts and wholes; causation; the multiplicity of times; anticipation; the thick present; and latents.

Findings

The paper presents the two main obstructions blocking the way towards a theory for futures studies (namely, the belief that the opposition between positivists and anti‐positivists is exhaustive, and the need for better connections with other sciences such as biology, cognitive science and the social sciences.

Research limitations/implications

The paper discusses only one of the different threads in the elaboration of a theoretical basis for futures studies, namely the components closer to science.

Social implications

A proper theory for futures studies will contribute to making them more robust and efficient.

Originality/value

The general framework presented by the paper extends well beyond the somewhat restricted field of futures studies and includes social and psychological sciences, together with biology.
Borderlands: developing character strengths for a knowmadic world
Authors: Hokanson Brad , Karlson Roger Wm.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The paper's aim is to highlight the value of non‐cognitive strengths such as creativity and grit. In a knowledge age, those aspects will be the distinguishing characteristics in a global work force and must be a goal of educational pursuits.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines research supporting the inclusion of character strengths in education for a borderless global future.

Findings

Presently, most education and work deals with information and data. Technology has made data/facts/information more accessible but less unique for any given learner, worker, or place. At the same time, education has focused on simple distribution of content, knowledge assessment, and testing instead of the development of rich knowledge and non‐cognitive skills. This can be seen in the reliance on testing and achievement, and, by and large, in a generation of students knowing “what” but not “how”, a generation less creative and more prone to set answers, a generation often lacking character strengths and less able to persevere in the face of challenge or failure.

Research limitations/implications

Research must focus more intensely on the character strengths or non‐cognitive skills to better understand their relationship to learning and achievement. Methods of developing character strengths should be researched for efficacy. Correlation between various character strengths (such as creativity and persistence) and academic achievement should be broadly researched. This correlative research could support new methods and foci in education offering a broader, more inclusive direction in learning.

Practical implications

Research has shown character strengths can be better developed in explicit class settings than through tacit methods. Previous research into strengths such as grit and perseverance could also lead to different participant selection for employment, enrollment, or to intervention programs. In a world where information travels around the world in the blink of an eye, in a borderless global future, education must metaphorically cross the cognitive border and begin to directly address that broader set of skills that are cherished but often do not seem to be taught. It is on the border between learning information – explicit knowledge – and affective, social, and behavioral skills where change must occur.

Originality/value

This paper addresses a need in education to examine and explicitly address non‐cognitive skills.