209 research outputs found
Predator management with a single bait? Use of Eradicat for the simultaneous management of feral cats, red foxes, and wild dogs
No full textContext In Western Australia, there are three invasive predators that require management for agriculture and biodiversity protection, feral cats, wild dogs, and red foxes. These three predators often coexist in the same locality, suggesting potential efficacy gains can be made via simultaneous control. While Western Australian native species have evolved a high tolerance to poison baiting (1080), invasive predators have not. Therefore, landscape-scale baiting is commonly used for predator management. Aims Eradicat baits designed for feral cat control have also been known to be consumed and control wild dogs and foxes. In this trial, we aimed to evaluate Eradicat as an all-predator bait, determine if there is a preferential time for the use of the bait and assess non-target impact(s) of baiting. Methods We aimed to control all three predators on an agricultural property adjacent to a conservation reserve over 16 months with eight baiting events using Eradicat as an all-predator bait. Twenty one Reconyx camera traps monitored some of the baits deployed. Key results A total of 300 baits had a known outcome with minimal uptake by all three predators. Many issues were encountered when working on a smaller-scale including interference with farming activities and management, flash flooding, and non-target uptake of the Eradicat baits. Wetter than anticipated environmental conditions likely increased alternate prey availability, negatively impacting bait uptake. Conclusions More work is required to determine if Eradicat baits can be used as an all-predator bait
Three Objections to the Use of Empiricism in Criminal Law and Procedure—And Three Answers
No full textRecent studies show that, over the past decade, judges and lawyers have begun to cite to empirical studies in their work with increasing regularity. However, the use of empiricism is still not common in many areas of the law. In this article, Tracey L. Meares draws on her background in criminal justice to highlight three major objections to the use of empiricism in criminal law and procedure: (1) much of the empirical evidence used by courts is flawed and courts are not equipped to deal with complicated social scientific data; (2) the use of empiricism decreases public acceptance in the criminal justice system, which in turn, prevents an individual from internalizing legal rules (“less information is better”); and (3) empirical information is irrelevant to the normative goals of criminal law and procedure. After fully analyzing these objections, the author presents various counterarguments that underscore the importance of using empiricism in the creation and interpretation of criminal law and procedure.
Professor Meares dismisses the first critique as merely an objection to bad social science and argues for the use of critical review as one of the mechanisms by which courts could screen social science research. The author responds to the “less information is better” objection by attacking it on moral grounds and by demonstrating how the use of empirical evidence can lead to higher levels of legitimacy and to greater compliance with the law. Finally, the author disposes of the third objection by arguing that the use of empirical studies makes criminal justice decisions more transparent and allows us to hold decision makers accountable for their actions
Strategic Plan for Fountain of Love, Inc.
No full textFountain of Love, Inc. is an organization that was founded by Tracey L. Fountain, the author of this document. Fountain of Love, Inc. was established to provide supportive and recreational services to the youth of inner city Flint. This area is marked by poverty, dysfunctional families, high crime rates, low education attainment, and limited resources as is the case for other areas of poverty. It is our goal to assist as many of these children as possible in dealing with and overcoming the dismays that are indicative of such an environment. The mission statement of our organization reads as follows: Fountain of Love, Inc. will provide a haven of love, support, and hope for children of need that will help build self-esteem and character, nurture self-empowerment, and provide opportunities to succeed. The information presented here reflects the completed tasks of the applied project to establish a non-profit agency. The tasks that have been completed for the applied project are as follows: Established the charitable purpose of the organization, created mission and vision statements, recruited initial board of directors, drafted and filed Articles of Incorporation, drafted bylaws, filed and obtained Employer Identification Number, and developed Moderate Strategic Plan.Master'sCollege of Arts and Sciences: Public AdministrationUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/118041/1/Fountain.pd
Resources for leading a many-author non-empirical paper
No full textThis project contains resources related to the paper "Ten simple rules for leading a many-author non-empirical paper" (https://osf.io/preprints/osf/q3azn). Specifically, we provide examples of emails sent to authors explaining changes based on co-author feedback, and tips for being a co-author on a many-author non-empirical paper
The Brussels Peace Conference of 1874 and the modern laws of belligerent qualification
No full textThe Brussels Conference of 1874 was convened after the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). At stake was not only the restoration of the fragile balance of power in Europe, but also the articulation of a new ideal of warfare and its role in the European state system. This article discusses the Conference in relation to the “new war” thesis put forth by Mary Kaldor in New and Old Wars (1999). It was at Brussels that the “old war” crystallized as a political ideal: war would be a tournament, fought by professional armies, organized by nation states; civilians who refrained from participation would be protected from being attacked. At Brussels, this view prevailed over the “total war” view, which would permit both deliberate targeting of civilians and violent reprisal against them. Brussels laid the foundations for the further development of international humanitarian law at The Hague Peace Conference of 1899.
La Conférence de Bruxelles de 1874, organisée après la guerre franco-prussienne (1870-1871), visait non seulement à restaurer le fragile équilibre des pouvoirs en Europe, mais aussi à formuler un nouvel idéal de guerre et à en définir le rôle au sein des États européens. Cet article aborde la Conférence dans le contexte de la théorie de la « nouvelle guerre » avancée par Mary Kaldor dans son ouvrage New and Old Wars (1999). C’est à Bruxelles que l’« ancienne guerre » s’est cristallisée en un idéal politique où la guerre serait un tournoi mené par des armées professionnelles et organisé par des États-nations, et où les civils qui s’abstiennent d’y participer seraient protégés contre les attaques. À Bruxelles, ce modèle l’a emporté sur une autre vision, celle de la « guerre totale », qui implique au contraire de cibler délibérément des civils et d’exercer des représailles violentes à leur encontre. La Conférence de Bruxelles a jeté les bases nécessaires au développement ultérieur du droit international humanitaire lors de la Conférence de la paix organisée à La Haye en 1899.Peer reviewedspecial issue articleFinal article publishe
Managing predators on livestock producing properties in South Africa and Western Australia – producer perspectives
No full textContext Predation impacts livestock farming enterprises worldwide. In South Africa and Western Australia, native and non-native predators negatively impact sheep and cattle farming enterprises. Aims We hoped to compare the perspectives on predator impacts of livestock producers in relation to livestock predation in South Africa and Western Australia. Methods Online and in-person surveys consisting of 26 questions were posed to farmers and pastoralists in both countries. The questions related to land ownership, property size, livestock management, predation impact (financial and livestock losses), control of predators, and other impacts on productivity. Key results Livestock production properties are of a similar size and stocking rate in both countries, but Western Australia has some very large stations. Predation impacts on livestock production are felt in both countries, with South Africa having a larger array of predators, resulting in higher financial impacts. Despite control tools being similar in both countries, deployment of the tools differed. Conclusions Losses to predators are higher in South Africa as their predator management is localised and reactive to predation, whereas Western Australia has a proactive landscape-scale approach to predator control through Recognised Biosecurity Groups. Implications Predators impact farming enterprises in both countries, but the number of predators and the use of available control methods influence the level of impact the predators have on the productivity of farms in both Western Australia and South Africa
Ten Simple Rules for Being a Co-author on a Many-Author Non-Empirical Paper
No full textMany-author non-empirical papers include “how to” articles, recommendations or consensus statements, roadmaps for future research, catalogs of ideas, or calls to action. These papers benefit the research community and broader academic ecosystem by addressing unmet needs or introducing new perspectives and approaches. Large, diverse authorship teams that examine an issue from many different perspectives can create valuable resources that individual co-authors could not develop independently, or in smaller groups. Realizing the potential of many-author non-empirical papers, however, requires very different strategies than researchers would typically use to write papers with fewer authors. A core team of lead writers typically work together to lead the content generation and writing processes, while many co-authors collaboratively create content and provide feedback on outlines and drafts. Challenges for co-authors may include learning to write a different type of paper, adapting to high volume feedback, and understanding the very diverse perspectives shared by fellow co-authors. This paper outlines ten simple rules for being a co-author on a many-author non-empirical paper. Although the rules were developed for papers with at least 30 authors, some rules may be useful for many-author research papers, or for non-empirical papers with fewer authors. Co-authors may also want to consult our companion paper on ten simple rules for leading a many-author non-empirical paper, as understanding the challenges faced by lead writers will help co-authors to contribute more efficiently and effectively
Three Objections to the Use of Empiricism in Criminal Law and Procedure—And Three Answers
No full textRecent studies show that, over the past decade, judges and lawyers have begun to cite to empirical studies in their work with increasing regularity. However, the use of empiricism is still not common in many areas of the law. In this article, Tracey L. Meares draws on her background in criminal justice to highlight three major objections to the use of empiricism in criminal law and procedure: (1) much of the empirical evidence used by courts is flawed and courts are not equipped to deal with complicated social scientific data; (2) the use of empiricism decreases public acceptance in the criminal justice system, which in turn, prevents an individual from internalizing legal rules (“less information is better”); and (3) empirical information is irrelevant to the normative goals of criminal law and procedure. After fully analyzing these objections, the author presents various counterarguments that underscore the importance of using empiricism in the creation and interpretation of criminal law and procedure. Professor Meares dismisses the first critique as merely an objection to bad social science and argues for the use of critical review as one of the mechanisms by which courts could screen social science research. The author responds to the “less information is better” objection by attacking it on moral grounds and by demonstrating how the use of empirical evidence can lead to higher levels of legitimacy and to greater compliance with the law. Finally, the author disposes of the third objection by arguing that the use of empirical studies makes criminal justice decisions more transparent and allows us to hold decision makers accountable for their actions
Cosmopolitanism, custom, and complexity: Kant's cosmopolitan norms in action
No full textImmanuel Kant's Cosmopolitanism has come to stand alongside Political Realism and Liberal Internationalism as one of three broad theories of ethics in international relations. Yet Cosmopolitanism has been subjected to criticisms that the universal norms identified by Kant - including such norms as hospitality, reciprocity, and publicity (transparency and free political participation) - are Western and Eurocentric in nature, incompatible with cultural pluralism, and lack the justification and legitimacy for the broad-based consensus required for a Cosmopolitan political sphere to emerge among the world’s diverse peoples. This paper seeks to address these criticisms of Cosmopolitanism by studying examples of Cosmopolitan norms in action. These examples have been drawn from diverse regions around the globe to represent self-organized, 'self-legislating', civil societies that have themselves developed the rules that guide their behaviour and the terms of their discourse in the absence of a centralized governing authority. It is hoped that this approach will contribute to this ongoing debate by demonstrating that Cosmopolitan norms can be found in a diverse array of human communities and cultures, that Cosmopolitan norms are not only compatible with pluralism, but are instrumental in its success and vitality, and, finally, that the flourishing of such civil societies shows that the adoption of Cosmopolitan norms are strongly correlated with successful outcomes and well-being.Peer reviewedFinal article publishedinternational political theorycosmopolitanismhospitalitysocial movementscustomary norm
Are canid pest ejectors an effective control tool for wild dogs in an arid rangeland environment?
No full textContext: Wild dogs are a significant pest species of livestock production and native wildlife in Australia. A suite of control tools is used to mitigate predation impacts. Baiting with sodium fluoroacetate is the most commonly used control tool in Australia; however, its effectiveness can be reduced by interference by non-target species, and in some contexts by microbial degradation of the toxin. Canid pest ejectors (CPEs) are a mechanical device with an attractant ‘lure head’ designed to eject a lethal toxin into the mouth of canids pulling on the lure head. A range of lure heads can be used to attract canids to pull, and trigger CPEs.Aims: We aimed to determine whether uptake of CPEs by wild dogs in an arid rangeland environment could cause a decline in a wild dog population. We also aimed to determine whether there are particular lure heads that increase the rate of CPEs being triggered by wild dogs.Methods: We deployed one hundred CPEs over four sessions of control across three properties in the southern rangelands of Western Australia from 2018 to 2020. Each session consisted of 2 months of CPE deployment with two different lure heads, totalling eight lure head types over the entire study. All CPEs were monitored using camera traps.Key results: Wild dog density varied over the study period. In all four control sessions, a decrease in wild dog density was recorded (–46%, –5%, –13%, –38%). Wild dog activity events on camera and their interest in CPEs differed between sessions and lures (i.e. higher with scent-based lures). Non-target species did not interfere with CPEs significantly, despite a higher number of activity events by non-target species than wild dogs.Conclusions: CPEs caused a reduction of 5–46% of wild dog density when deployed in the southern rangelands of Western Australia. Non-target interference was minimal when using CPEs for wild dog control.Implications: Use of scent-based lures on felt lure heads is recommended for successful use of CPEs for wild dog control in arid rangeland environments. Future on-ground wild dog control should include CPEs as a complementary tool for the reduction of wild dog density
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