664 research outputs found
Author Mary Doria Russell talks about her most recent work "The Sparrow"
No full textAuthor and "recovering academic" Mary Doria Russell talks about her most recent work "The Sparrow", which is about humanity's first contact with another intelligent species and the unexpected consequences. Sponsored by Michigan State University Libraries, Computing and Technology. Part of the MSU Libraries' Colloquia Series. Held at the MSU Main Library
Nonlinear perron-probenius theory and dynamics of cone maps
No full textIn this paper several recent results concerning the dynamics of order preserving (sub) homogeneous maps on polyhedral cones are reviewed. These results were obtained by the author in collaboration with Marianne Akian, Stephane Gaubert, Roger Nussbaum, Michael Scheutzow and Colin Sparrow in [2], [13] and [15] and are new nonlinear extensions of the Perron-Frobenius theory
Pale Rock Sparrow Carpospiza brachydactyla in the Mount Lebanon range: Modelling breeding habitat
No full textThe Pale Rock Sparrow Carpospiza brachydactyla is a poorly known species with very little documentation of its breeding habitat preferences. Using detailed surveys and habitat modelling for a population in southern Lebanon's Bekaa valley, we have identified aspects of the habitat associated both temporally and spatially with breeding. Static spatial habitat modelling using three fundamentally different statistical techniques (multiple linear regression, regression trees and artificial neural networks) agreed on positive associations of breeding density with 'pebbliness' of ground cover and the quantity of available habitat, and a negative association with trees. Temporal associations were found between breeding and a rise in temperature and peaks in grasshopper and beetle abundance, the two main prey that we observed the birds taking. These findings are discussed in the context of Pale Rock Sparrow conservation and implications for species-directed habitat assessment more generally. © 2005 British Ornithologists' Union
Author Co-Citation Analysis (ACA): a powerful tool for representing implicit knowledge of scholar knowledge workers
No full textIn the last decade, knowledge has emerged as one of the most important and valuable organizational assets. Gradually this importance caused to emergence of new discipline entitled ―knowledge management‖. However one of the major challenges of knowledge management is conversion implicit or tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge. Thus Making knowledge visible so that it can be better accessed, discussed, valued or generally managed is a long-standing objective in knowledge management. Accordingly in this paper author co- citation analysis (ACA) will be proposed as an efficient technique of knowledge visualization in academia (Scholar knowledge workers)
Fictitious play in 3 x 3 games : chaos and dithering behaviour
No full textIn the 60's Shapley provided an example of a two player fictitious game with periodic
behaviour. In this game, player A aims to copy B's behaviour and player B aims to play one
ahead of player A. In this paper we continue to study a family of games which generalize
Shapley's example by introducing an external parameter, and prove that there exists an
abundance of periodic and chaotic behavior with players dithering between different strategies. The reason for all this, is that there exists a periodic orbit (consisting of playing mixed
strategies) which is of 'jitter type': such an orbit is neither attracting, repelling or of saddle
type as nearby orbits jitter closer and further away from it in a manner which is reminiscent
of a random walk motion. We prove that this behaviour holds for an open set of games
Defining Parameters: Aboriginal Rights, Treaty Rights, and the Sparrow Justificatory Test
No full textIn the case of R. v. Sparrow, the Supreme Court of Canada created a justificatory scheme for federal legislation that had the potential to derogate from the rights of the Aboriginal peoples that are protected by s. 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982. Since that time, the Sparrow test has been applied to both Aboriginal and treaty rights. The author suggests that the straightforward application of the Sparrow test to treaty rights is inappropriate because of the significant distinctions between Aboriginal and treaty rights. Where there is a need to balance treaty rights with competing rights, any justificatory standard to be applied ought to be consistent with the consensual basis of Crown- Native treaties
Come hell or high water: conservation of the federally endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) in the dynamic Florida Everglades
No full textUnderstanding the effect of disturbance on rare and endangered species is critical for effective conservation. In this dissertation, I tested the effects of fire on the federally endangered Cape Sable seaside sparrow in Everglades National Park, Florida. In chapter 1, I used an unplanned fire event which burned a long-term research plot to test the effect of fire on the abundance and reproduction of a single subpopulation of the species. Sparrows were immediately impacted by the fire, in that no birds utilized the burned habitat for two full breeding seasons following the event. Moreover, no birds that had been banded in the burned habitat, prior to the fire, were ever relocated. Despite the initial impact, sparrows reclaimed burned habitat three years after fire at densities and nesting success indistinguishable from the unburned area. This suggests that fire provided neither benefit nor lasting negative effects to the sparrows. Vegetation structure was the most important factor in determining when sparrows return.
In Chapter 2, I determined whether the processes witnessed at the local scale were supported in patterns of sparrow occupancy across the entire range of the species. I used a 16-year fire history database in conjunction with 13 years of survey data on sparrow site occupancy to calculate time-since-fire for each survey point. Then using logistic mixed models, I tested whether fire had an effect on occupancy and whether this effect varied according to time-since-fire. My results indicate that sparrow occupancy was significantly lower at points that had experienced fire one and two years prior, but this effect was lost in points with three years or more since being burned. My results, therefore, provide the first confirmation of fire effects on the Cape Sable seaside sparrow at both the local and landscape scales.
In Chapter 3, I demonstrated how a long-term monitoring dataset, the 16-year sparrow helicopter survey, could be used to make inference about the statistical power of the current monitoring program. I used zero-inflated Poisson and binomial models to account for excess variation in the data, and generate parameter estimates from which I simulated sparrow population declines through time.
Using these simulated data, I determined the statistical power of the current sparrow survey to detect meaningful declines in both abundance and occupancy. My results showed that the current sparrow survey is unable to detect even large declines (>90%) over short time periods (three years). Survey power increased with additional years of data (5-10 years). With efforts to restore the Everglades ecosystem currently underway, park managers require a more precise tool than the current survey in order to detect important changes to sparrow populations.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby David Anthony La Pum
Learning to assess school mathematics: Context, multimedia and transfer
No full textThe study set out to explore the use of a multimedia program on assessment strategies within a preservice teacher mathematics method unit, and to investigate the extent of transfer to classroom practice. A multimedia program was designed to incorporate characteristics of ‘situated’ learning environments. Preservice teachers used the program in their mathematics method classes, and they and their supervising teachers were interviewed regarding their use of assessment strategies while on professional practice. Results show that all students used a variety of assessment strategies, and according to the beliefs of the students themselves, were influenced in their use of strategies by the multimedia learning environment
Spatial Distribution Model and Habitat Selection of Russet Sparrow (Passer rutilans) in Taiwan
No full text本研究以台灣本島的稀有留鳥山麻雀(Cinnamon Sparrow or Russet Sparrow, Passer rutilans)為研究對象，目的在於(一)利用過去記錄的地點，以logistic regression 為方法來建立台灣本島山麻雀的大尺度分布預測模式，以了解山麻雀在台灣的可能棲息地; (二)利用GIS(geographic information system)及遙測技術，配合野外實地調查的資料，以判別分析 (discriminant analysis)來探討較小尺度之
下(調查點半徑400m-1000m 內)，山麻雀及麻雀 (Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus)的棲地選擇，並了解兩物種在棲地選擇上的差異。
山麻雀的大尺度分布預測模式顯示，山麻雀傾向出現在距離主要道路(國道和省道)較近，12 個月降雨量變異較大，坡度較大的地區，而模式的預測山麻雀的分布區域主要都在山區的省道附近，其中以屏東縣霧台鄉的預測分布區最為密集。而評估模式表現的各項指數，都顯示模式表現介於中等到良好之間。
在較小尺度的研究結果顯示，山麻雀傾向出現在NDVI 平均值較小，NDVI標準差也較小的地方，根據野外調查的經驗顯示，此種棲地主要可能是山區開墾地中散佈少量住宅。而麻雀則傾向出現在NDVI 平均值較小，海拔高度標準差較小，以及坡度平均值較小的地區。顯示影響麻雀棲地選擇的因子，除了植被之外，海拔高度和地形起伏也相當重要。若比較兩者的判別分析分辨率，可以發現麻雀的分辨率都較山麻雀高出許多，兩者的分辨率高峰不大相同，山麻雀在800m 的分辨率最佳，麻雀在600m 有最好的分辨率。
綜合上述的結果及野外調查的經驗，山麻雀在台灣本島的棲地似乎不虞匱乏，因此，山麻雀在台灣本島數量的限制因子，可能需要從非繁殖期的棲地數量或是和麻雀之間的競爭關係下去了解。Cinnamon Sparrow (also called Russet Sparrow, Passer rutilans) is a rare resident bird of Taiwan. This study has two objects: 1. using logistic regression in building
large-scale predictive distribution model based on old records,2. using GIS and remote sensing with on site bird survey to depict the small-scale (400m-1000m radius from survey points) habitat selection of Cinnamon Sparrow and Tree Sparrow(Tree Sparrow, Passer montanus). The result of large-scale predictive distribution model suggest that Cinnamon Sparrow tend to presence on sites close to major roads, large monthly precipitation varitation and greater slope. The model predict that Wu-Tai, at Ping-tong County, is the most important area for Cinnamon Sparrow in Taiwan. All evaluation indices show the model performance is fine to moderate. The small-scale analysis show that Cinnamon Sparrow tend to presence in sites with lower NDVI mean and lower NDVI standard devitation. Based on field experience, this may refelect cultivation lands scattered with few buildings in mountain areas. Tree Sparrow tend to presence on site with lower NDVI mean, lower elevation standard
devitation and lower slope mean. Comparing the classification rate of discriminant analysis between two species, Tree Sparrow are always better than Cinnamon
Sparrow at all distances. The result show that the breeding habitat may not be a limitation factor for Cinnamon Sparrow in Taiwan, other factors such as non-breeding habitat and competition with Tree Sparrow, are suggest by the author.目錄
中文摘要……………………………………………………………… 1
英文摘要……………………………………………………………… 2
前言…………………………………………………………………… 3
研究方法
一. 資料收集………………………………………………………. 6
二. 野外調查………………………………………………………. 6
三. 大尺度山麻雀分布預測模式的建立…………………………. 7
四. 以遙測和GIS探討山麻雀和麻雀在較小尺度之下的棲地選擇…10
結果
一. 資料收集……………………………………………………. 11
二. 野外調查……………………………………………………. 11
三. 大尺度山麻雀分布預測模式的建立………………………. 13
四. 以遙測和GIS探討山麻雀和麻雀在較小尺度之下的棲地選擇…… 14
討論
一. 資料收集……………………………………………………. 17
二. 野外調查……………………………………………………. 17
三. 大尺度山麻雀分布預測模式的建立………………………. 18
四. 以遙測和GIS探討山麻雀和麻雀在較小尺度之下的棲地選擇… 21
結論………………………………………………………………. 25
參考文獻…………………………………………………………………. 26
表…………………………………………………………………. 33
圖…………………………………………………………………. 4
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