128 research outputs found
Spider ecology in southwestern Zimbabwe, with emphasis on the impact of holistic planned grazing practices
No full textThe current information on Zimbabwean spiders is fairly poor and is mostly restricted to taxonomic descriptions, while their ecology remains largely unknown. While taxonomic studies are very important, as many species are becoming extinct before they are described, a focus on the ecology of spiders is also essential, as it helps with addressing vital questions such as the effect of anthropogenic activities on spider fauna. Therefore, in order to address this research gap, assessment of the response of spiders to holistic management practises within Debshan Ranch, Shangani, Zimbabwe was done. Additionally, in order to establish baseline data on spider fauna, the standardised South African National Survey of Arachnida sampling protocol was utilised to assess its efficacy within the Khami World Heritage Site. Spider sampling was done in three sub-projects: the first included sampling in several geographic distances around previously kraaled inclusions and control sites within the ranch, using sweep nets and pitfall traps, in six sampling periods from July 2017 until April 2018; the second included sampling that was done inside the previously kraaled inclusions and their surrounding areas dating back to at least ten months since cattle occupation in two sampling intervals early summer (November 2017) and late summer (March 2018), using pitfall traps; the third entailed sampling within Khami in three sampling periods (summer, winter and spring 2018) using six sampling methods, namely pitfall traps, beating sheets, litter sifting, sweeping, day hand collecting and night hand collecting. The model that best explained changes in mean grass height (cm), as well as percentage grass cover around previously kraaled inclusions and the control sites, was that which included time since kraal removal, whereas inside the inclusions and their surroundings was that which included season and short duration kraaling. At the functional group level, only the web builder‟s genera richness responded negatively to short duration kraaling around the previously kraaled inclusions and their control sites. On the other hand, inside the previously kraaled inclusions and their surroundings only ground dwelling abundance responded negatively and significantly to short duration kraaling. The most important predictor amongst the vegetation structure variables around the previously kraaled inclusions and control sites was mean grass height (cm), which impacted genera richness and abundance of both ground dwellers and web builders. In contrast, genera richness and abundance of plant wanderers were positively associated with mean grass height (cm). However, inside the previously kraaled inclusions and their surroundings the most important predictor was time since kraal removal and the vegetation structure variable percentage coarse woody debris cover, which responded positively to the ground dwellers. In addition, the late sampling season had significantly lower ground dwelling abundance compared to the early sampling season. Within the Khami World Heritage Site the riparian woodland had the highest species richness compared to the other biotopes. Similarly, the summer period also produced the highest diversity, with winter recording the lowest species richness. Night and day hand collecting had the highest observed species richness with adult individuals. In order to sample 50% of the spider assemblages, 15 samples were required to be collected in the mixed woodland, which represented the biotope requiring the fewest samples. Seasonality effects explained a significant amount of variation in changes of mean grass height (cm) and percentage cover around previously kraaled sites and their control sites. However, when inter-seasonal variation was excluded by sampling previously kraaled sites within one season, short duration kraaling explained a significant amount of variation. Standardised sampling protocols aid in establishing databases of spider fauna which will in the long run ensure inclusion of spiders in biodiversity reports in Zimbabwe, which has historically not been the case, due to limited information.University of the Free StateDeBeers Oppenheimer GroupDr Duncan McFadde
Lexicon Optimization in Languages without Alternations
No full textLanguages with few or no alternations have never fitted smoothly into rule-based theories with a commitment to lexical economy. To derive rich surface inventories from more parsimonious underlying inventories, it was necessary to postulate abstract underlying forms even for morphemes which only ever surfaced with one particular allophone. Even if lexical economy was demoted as a paramount consideration, the occurrence of alternations in one small corner of the grammar, such as in loanwords, still forced the linguist back to the abstract and rule-based analysis. This was so because the alternative, a set of phonotactic statements about the surface distribution of allophones, could not alone produce alternations: only rules could do that, and once the grammar included rules, they could be made use of for other purposes, including the non-alternating forms. Output-based theories are tailor-made for language of this type. Surface-true generalizations can be trivially dealt with. When alternations are encountered, they can be understood as the direct result of the pressure to observe these surface constraints, and no special rules are needed.
Using data from vowel systems in several Chinese dialects, Mandarin palatal consonants, and Chaoyang nasalization, it is argued that abstract underlying representations and rules that produce surface forms are highly inefficient for non-alternating systems, in that they frequently require both rules that derive A from B, and rules that derive B from A, in the same contexts. It is proposed that language is learnt on the basis of core data, and that non-core data - language games, poetry, speech errors, onomatopoeia, loanwords - can be used as a probe to investigate the nature of the underlying representations. This paper finds inconclusive evidence for abstract underlying representations, and concludes that the balance of the evidence suggests that learners acquire something rather close to what they hear, unless information from alternations or paradigms forces them to do otherwise. These findings provide support for Lexicon Optimization (Prince and Smolensky 1993).The definitive version of this paper was published in Current Trends in Phonology: Models and Methods (1996)Yip, M. (1996). Lexical optimization in languages without alterations. In J. Durand, & B. Laks (Eds.) Current trends in phonology: Models and methods (pp. 354-385). Salford, Manchester: European Studies Research Institute, University of Salford.ISBN: 9781901471007 (Published conference proceedings)This work was made possible in part by a generous grant from the Chiang Ching Kuo Foundatio
Effect of nuclear response functions in dark matter direct detection
No full textWe examine the effect of nuclear response functions, as laid out by Fitzpatrick et al. [J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 02 (2013) 004], on dark matter (DM) direct detection in the context of well-motivated UV completions, including electric and magnetic dipoles, anapole, spin-orbit, and pseudoscalar-mediated DM. Together, these encompass five of the six nuclear responses extracted from the nonrelativistic effective theory of Fitzpatrick et al. [J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 02 (2013) 004] (with the sixth difficult to UV complete), with two of the six combinations corresponding to standard spin-independent and spin-dependent responses. For constraints from existing direct detection experiments, we find that only the COUPP constraint, due to its heavy iodine target with large angular momentum and an unpaired spin, and its large energy range sensitivity, is substantially modified by the new responses compared to what would be inferred using the standard form factors to model the energy dependence of the response. For heavy targets such as xenon and germanium, the behavior of the new nuclear responses as recoil energy increases can be substantially different from that of the standard responses, but this has almost no impact on the constraints derived from experiments such as LUX, XENON100, and CDMS since the maximum nuclear recoil energy detected in these experiments is relatively low. We simulate mock data for 80 and 250 GeV DM candidates utilizing the new nuclear responses to highlight how they might affect a putative signal, and find the new responses are most important for highly momentum-suppressed interactions such as the magnetic dipole or pseudoscalar-mediated interaction when the target is relatively heavy (such as xenon and iodine)
The biomechanical characteristics of development-age hockey players: Determining the effects of body size on the assessment of skating technique
No full textTherapists’ religion: dialogical processes in the self-narratives of Christian clinical and counselling psychologists
No full textThe aim of this study was to explore the therapists' personal religious and spiritual belief systems and the impact of these on their work. The literature reviewed included material regarding the role of religion and spirituality in relation to psychology and therapy, identity, and especially, the person of the therapist. The present qualitative investigation applies the theory of the Dialogical Self to the narratives of five practising Christian clinical and counselling psychologists. It draws on a narrative to allow for process-oriented, context-sensitive interpretation
Drawing the Line: How African, Caribbean and White British Women Live Out Psychologically Abusive Experiences
No full textThe final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Violence Against Women, 19 (9):1104-32, Sept 2013 by SAGE Publications Ltd, All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2013.
The online version of this article can be found at: http://vaw.sagepub.com/content/19/9/110
Factors influencing nurses' decisions to raise concerns about care quality
No full textAim To explore factors that influence nurses' decisions to raise concerns about standards of practice. Background Health care practitioners have a key role in monitoring care quality. Nurses are required by their professional body to raise concerns about standards; however, under-reporting is the norm. Method Grounded theory was used to collect and analyse data from semi-structured interviews with 142 practising nurses, theoretically sampled from three Acute NHS Trusts in England. Findings Fear of repercussions, retribution, labelling and blame for raising concerns, about which they predicted nothing would be done, were identified as disincentives to raising concerns. Reporting was perceived as a high-risk:low-benefit action. Nurses lacked confidence in reporting systems. Conclusions Disincentives to reporting need to be addressed if an open culture, which promotes quality, safety and learning, is to be developed. Findings give cause for concern and indicate a need to review organizational and professional guidelines, and organizational reporting systems. © 2007 The Author. Journal compilation 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- …
