37 research outputs found
Scleropages jardini
No full textScleropages jardini (Saville-Kent) (Fig. 9, AU) References. None. This is a new record for Singapore. Distribution. Singapore Botanic Gardens, Swan Lake (Lim KKP, pers. obs., October 2010).Published as part of Hui, Tan Heok, Peng, Kelvin Lim Kok, Huan, Liew Jia, Wei, Low Bi, Hing, Rayson Lim Bock, Beng, Jeffrey Kwik Teik & Yeo, Darren C. J., 2020, The non-native freshwater fishes of Singapore: an annotated compilation, pp. 150-195 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 68 on page 156, DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2020-0016, http://zenodo.org/record/534398
TOURISM AND ITS IMPACT ON HOTEL INDUSTRY
No full textBachelor'sBACHELOR OF SCIENCE (ESTATE MANAGEMENT
Latitudinal gradient of nestedness and its potential drivers in stream detritivores
No full textAuthors: Luz Boyero, Richard G. Pearson, Christopher Swan, Cang Hui, Ricardo J. Albariño, Muthukumarasamy Arunachalam, Marcos Callisto, Julián Chará, Ana M. Chará-Serna, Eric Chauvet, Aydeé Cornejo, David Dudgeon, Andrea C. Encalada, Verónica Ferreira, Mark O. Gessner, José F. Gonçalves Jr, Manuel A. S. Graça, Julie E. Helson, Jude M. Mathooko, Brendan G. McKie, Marcelo S. Moretti, Catherine M. YuleUnderstanding what mechanisms shape the diversity and composition of biological assemblages across broad-scale gradients is central to ecology. Litter-consuming detritivorous invertebrates in streams show an unusual diversity gradient, with α-diversity increasing towards high latitudes but no trend in γ-diversity. We hypothesized this pattern to be related to shifts in nestedness and several ecological processes shaping their assemblages (dispersal, environmental filtering and competition). We tested this hypothesis, using a global dataset, by examining latitudinal trends in nestedness and several indicators of the above processes along the latitudinal gradient. Our results suggest that strong environmental filtering and low dispersal in the tropics lead to often species-poor local detritivore assemblages, nested in richer regional assemblages. At higher latitudes, dispersal becomes stronger, disrupting the nested assemblage structure and resulting in local assemblages that are generally more species-rich and non-nested subsets of the regional species pools. Our results provide evidence that mechanisms underlying assemblage composition and diversity of stream litter-consuming detritivores shift across latitudes, and provide an explanation for their unusual pattern of increasing α-diversity with latitude. When we repeated these analyses for whole invertebrate assemblages of leaf litter and for abundant taxa showing reverse or no diversity gradients we found no latitudinal patterns, suggesting that function-based rather than taxon-based analyses of assemblages may help elucidate the mechanisms behind diversity gradients.We thank the numerous assistants who helped with field and laboratory work. The study was funded by a grant from the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration (grant number 7980-06 to LB) and various national funding sources, including MINECO’s project CGL2010-16285 to LB. We thank M. Araújo, J. Heino and S. Milesi for constructive comments on the manuscript. Author contributions: LB conceived and coordinated the study; all authors collected data and/or contributed to the study design and methodology; LB, RGP, CMS and CH conceived the paper, analysed the data and wrote the paper, with input from other authors (listed in alphabetical order).https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ecog.0098
Using Koi Carp to Produce Fish Silage
No full textThe natural environment of New Zealand is a highly cherished and important factor of the country. Introduced koi carp is considered a pest in New Zealand because it has a deleterious effect on fresh water systems. Hence eradicating the fish is essential. Identifying possible uses for this captured fish will help offset the cost of eradication. The aim of the study was to identify feasible products that could use koi carp as a raw material without the added impediment that a long term stable supply would not exist once fish numbers had been drastically reduced. The applications identified from a literature search could be categorized into three main groups: as food (for example canned carp); processed non-food uses (for example extracting fish collagen); and miscellaneous applications (such as biofertilizer). Silage production is a simple and cost effective method for using whole koi carp. The process involves mixing thawed minced fish with an acid and keeping it at a particular temperature for a short time. The effect of stirring conditions, pH and temperature was determined in the preliminary laboratory trials. A good silage requires a constant pH between 3.5 and 4.0 throughout the process and needed to be kept at 40°C for four days. Throughout the process the mixture needs to be thoroughly mixed. The main trials investigated the effect of different mineral and organic acids (singly and in combination) and the effect of using kiwifruit pulp as a source of proteolytic enzymes. The combination of hydrochloric acid and acetic acid (50:50 v/v) gave the best silage with high soluble solids content. Adding kiwifruit gave higher soluble solids after 36 h but the proteolytic activity then stopped. The process may need daily additions of green kiwifruit pulp to obtain a good silage. It is recommended that further studies on the biochemical changes during the silage process, the effect of other acid combinations in different proportions, the effect of acid strength, and other sources of exogenous proteolytic enzymes be investigated. It is also recommended that the costs of a commercial process be determined
Current directions in videoconferencing tele-mental health research
Get PDFThe provision of mental health services via videoconferencing tele-mental health has become an increasingly routine component of mental health service delivery throughout the world. Emphasizing the research literature since 2003, we examine (a) the extent to which the field of tele-mental health has advanced the research agenda previously suggested and (b) implications for tele-mental healthcare delivery for special clinical populations. Previous findings have demonstrated that tele-mental health services are satisfactory to patients, improve outcomes, and are probably cost effective. In the very small number of randomized controlled studies that have been conducted to date, tele-mental health has demonstrated equivalent efficacy compared to face-to-face care in a variety of clinical settings and with specific patient populations. However, methodologically flawed or limited research studies are the norm, and thus the research agenda for tele-mental health has not been fully maximized. Implications for future research and practice are discussed
Modeling North Atlantic nor'easters with modern wave forecast models
Get PDFAuthor Posting. © Her Majesty the Queen in
Right of Canada, 2018. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 123 (2018): 533–557, doi:10.1002/2017JC012868.Three state-of-the-art operational wave forecast model systems are implemented on fine-resolution grids for the Northwest Atlantic. These models are: (1) a composite model system consisting of SWAN implemented within WAVEWATCHIII® (the latter is hereafter, WW3) on a nested system of traditional structured grids, (2) an unstructured grid finite-volume wave model denoted “SWAVE,” using SWAN physics, and (3) an unstructured grid finite element wind wave model denoted as “WWM” (for “wind wave model”) which uses WW3 physics. Models are implemented on grid systems that include relatively large domains to capture the wave energy generated by the storms, as well as including fine-resolution nearshore regions of the southern Gulf of Maine with resolution on the scale of 25 m to simulate areas where inundation and coastal damage have occurred, due to the storms. Storm cases include three intense midlatitude cases: a spring Nor'easter storm in May 2005, the Patriot's Day storm in 2007, and the Boxing Day storm in 2010. Although these wave model systems have comparable overall properties in terms of their performance and skill, it is found that there are differences. Models that use more advanced physics, as presented in recent versions of WW3, tuned to regional characteristics, as in the Gulf of Maine and the Northwest Atlantic, can give enhanced results.NOAA-funded IOOS/SURA;
BIO Grant Number: NA11NOS0120141;
Canadian Panel on Energy R & D Grant Number: 1B00.003C;
Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Aquatic Climate Change Adaptation Program Grant Number: MAR-92018-07-2
Patent ownership in Malaysia - a comparative legal analysis of the Patents Act 1983.
No full textPhDPrior to 1986, Malaysia had a system whereby patents issued in the United Kingdom could
be registered in Malaysia. On registration, the patent owner would have privileges and
rights as those conferred by the issue of the patent in the United Kingdom. The Patents Act
1983 introduces a completely new code for patent protection in Malaysia. This thesis
analyses and evaluates the current provisions relating to the various incidents of ownership
of patent and utility model rights in Malaysia with the aim of assisting in the proper
construction of the relevant provisions. The issues of entitlement, the rights of co-owners,
the exercise and scope of rights as well as the limitations to and loss of these rights are
examined. The main objective of this study is to seek to achieve a proper balance between
the rights of a patent owner and the public. Where necessary, proposals for reforms are
made to amend various aspects of the Act with the aim of achieving this objective, ensuring
at the same time that the relevant provisions are in conformity with Malaysia's obligations
under the Paris Convention and the GAIT-TRIPS Agreement. Since there is a dearth of
legal writing and judicial guidance on the relevant provisions of the Act, the approach
adopted in the thesis is based on a comparative study of equivalent provisions of patent
statutes in various Commonwealth countries and the United States, with special emphasis
on United Kingdom law. Common law doctrines are also examined to determine their
applicability in the Malaysian context. Where of assistance, the laws of other jurisdictions
are examined. The experience of the working of the patent system in these countries is
drawn upon in the search for a proper and viable balance between the rights of the
competing groups
Author Correction: The effect of inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinase AXL on DNA damage response in ovarian cancer
No full textRemote health monitoring using online social media
No full textChonlatee Khorakhun was funded by the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA).Remote monitoring is an essential part of future mHealth systems for the delivery of personal and pervasive healthcare, especially to allow the collection of personal bio-data outside clinical environments. Yet, by its very nature, it presents considerable challenges: it will be a highly distributed task, requiring collection of bio-data for a myriad of cources, to be marshalled at the clinical site via secure communication channels. To address these challenges, we propose the use of an online social media platform (OSMP) as a key component of a near-future remote health monitoring system. By exploiting existing infrastructure, initial costs can be reduced, at the same time as allowing fast and flexible application development. An OSMP would have user benefits also: patients and healthcare professionals can be presented with familiar interfaces, while application developers can work with a set of technologies that are widely used and well-known. Internet-based access also helps to provide wide-ranging connectivity for mobile applications. Additionally, the use of a social media context allows existing social interactions within the healthcare regime to be modelled within a em carer network, working in harmony with, and providing support for, existing relationships and interactions between patients and healthcare professionals. We focus on the use of an OSMP to enable two primitive functions which we consider essential for mHealth, and on which larger personal healthcare services could be built: em remote health monitoring of personal bio-data, and an em alert system for asynchronous notifications. We analyse the general requirements in a carer network for these two primitive functions, in terms of four different viewpoints within the carer network: the em patient, the em doctor in charge, a professional em carer, and a em family member (or friend) of the patient. We discuss the suitability of OSMPs in terms of functionality, performance, security privacy, as well as the potential for cost reduction.Peer reviewe
Author Correction: Highly recurrent CBS epimutations in gastric cancer CpG island methylator phenotypes and inflammation
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