Suchergebnisse

The North Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis), the least‐known big cat, disappeared in most historical range for decades, following the development of modern civilization. Unfortunately, we have scarce knowledge about the status of this big cat so far, apart from anecdotal reports. In this study, we investigated density, distribution, and habitat use of the leopard, the apex predator, in a complex forest landscape in the Loess Plateau. We used a camera‐trapping network to obtain population estimates for leopards over 2 years through spatially explicit capture–recapture models. Our results, based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian/MCMC methods, reveal that the largest wild population of the leopard was found widely distributed in remnant forests in central Loess plateau. The population is increasing in our study area, and the density of leopards (1.70 (SE = 0.48) − 2.40 (SE = 0.67)/100 km(2)) is higher than other areas of China. According to the analysis of 2 seasonal occupancy models, prey species drive partially the leopard habitat use, predicting that the big cat thrives from the recovery of prey community. However, human disturbances, especially oil wells, seem to have negative impacts on the habitat use of leopards. Specifically, it is necessary to have joint efforts by the government and researchers to improve human disturbances management and prey species population density, as well as strengthen the investment in research on the North Chinese leopard, which could all further strengthen protection ability and ensure the long‐term survival of this species.

At present nearly half of the world's population is under some form of government restriction to curb the spread of COVID-19, an extremely contagious disease. In Bangladesh, in the wake of five deaths and 48 infections from COVID-19, between March 24 and May 30, 2020, the government imposed a nationwide lockdown. While this lockdown restricted the spread of COVID-19, in the absence of effective support, it can generate severe food and nutrition insecurity for daily wage-based workers. Of the 61 million employed labor force in Bangladesh, nearly 35% of them are paid on a daily basis. This study examines the food security and welfare impacts of the COVID-19 induced lockdown on daily wage workers both in the farm and nonfarm sectors in Bangladesh. Using information from more than 50,000 respondents complied with the 2016–17 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) in Bangladesh, this study estimates daily wage rates as Bangladesh Taka (BDT) 272.2 in the farm sector and BDT 361.5 in the nonfarm sector. Using the estimated daily wage earnings, this study estimates that a one-day complete lockdown generates a US$64.2 million equivalent economic loss only considering the wage loss of the daily wage workers. After estimating the daily per capita food expenditure separately for farm and nonfarm households, this study estimates a minimum compensation package for the daily wage-based farm and nonfarm households around the US $ 1 per day per household to ensure minimum food security for the daily wage-based worker households.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find solutions to improve the red meat sector in an emerging economy, Turkey, from the circular economy point of view, and taking sustainability approach. The need for circular management within the red meat sector in Turkey is emphasized by using Grey method. As theoretical contribution of this study, the investigation of the causes of losses at the slaughter stages of the red meat supply chain leads to proposals for sustainable and circular solutions.Design/methodology/approachGrey method is used to predict the number of slaughtered cattle and the amount of bone and blood waste in the slaughtering process between 2018 and 2020.FindingsIt is revealed that according to Grey prediction calculations, although the amount of slaughtered cattle, bone and blood waste seem have decreased between 2018 and 2020, there are still significant losses in Turkish red meat sector. For bone waste, this is expected to be 56,581,200 kg in 2018, 48,235,840 kg in 2019 and 41,121,380 kg in 2020. For blood waste, it is expected to be 24,754,275 kg in 2018, 21,103,180 kg in 2019 and 17,990,604 kg in 2020.Social implicationsThe proposed model in the study will contribute on sector revitalization, increase in product safety, quality and hygiene, development in the management of training and education centers for farmers/labors and increase in employment.Originality/valueThis paper represents policymakers with a proposal for triple bottom line (TBL) based circular and central slaughterhouse model, based on TBL, which brings social, economic and environmental benefits for the red meat sector in Turkey.

AbstractThis article brings the psychoanalysis of Bracha L. Ettinger to the question of mourning in the television series Transparent. As evident in the television series, and in everyday life, there is a troubling metonymy linking trans* lives with death. The appeal to death is often in stark contrast to the way trans* people experience their transitions as giving form to a new and invigorating commitment to life. Despite this, there can be something haunting and unspoken bothering familial relations post-transition. These cryptic experiences are well dramatized in Transparent. From a matrixial perspective, a transition always involves Others and rechoreographs intimate relations in conscious and nonconscious ways. Part of what happens post-transition is a non-cognized change in the matrixial web. Because so much of the matrixial is associated with metaphors of reproduction, life and death, it may be that the vocabulary of death (as metonymy of loss) is used to condense a vicissitude of unprocessed experiences in the matrixial. In other words, we lack ways to work through what has been changed in the relationality between intimate Others occasioned by a transition. The signifier "death" thus overwrites interpersonal familial relations. This article offers a way to understand and unpack the metonymic association using three key psychoanalytic concepts: the psychic crypt, the cryptic carriance, and the transcryptum. By bringing these concepts to the question of "mourning without loss" (van der Weele 2017) in Transparent, this article considers how transitions can enable a "working through" of unacknowledged familial trauma passed down between and within generations.

Within the European Union, buildings account for around 40% of the energy use and 36% of CO2 emissions, thus representing a significant challenge in the context of recent EU directives that require all new buildings to be nearly zero-energy by 2020. Reduced consumption of water, and hot water in particular, provides a significant opportunity to reduce energy consumption. While there have been numerous studies pertaining to the water-energy nexus of residential buildings, the complexity of water networks in larger buildings has meant that this area has been relatively unexplored. The paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the hot water use profile, associated energy use, on-site pumping energy use, carbon emissions, and solar energy harvesting potential in an Irish university building over periods before and after water conservation efforts. Total water-related energy consumption (including the heating and pumping losses) were analysed using the WHAM model and modified pumping energy expressions. The results revealed that water heating including losses contributed to as high as 30% of total building energy consumption, and stringent water conservation measures reduced the average hot water use rate by 8.5 m3/day. It was found that 10% of the total pumping energy was constituted by pump start-ups. Simulation results for solar harvesting potential in the study site found that around 60% of water heating energy demand could be met by solar energy in the new water demand scenario. The study results can act as a benchmark for similar buildings, and the model combination can be emulated in future studies.

In recent years, a strong focus has emerged towards developing and implementing guidelines, policies, governmental strategies, and research agendas that best support a growing ageing population. However, policies and theoretical understandings of ageing have been questioned in regard to their continued medicalisation, problematising, and objectification of the ageing experience. To explore the different ways in which older adults make meaning of their experiences of ageing, a qualitative methodology, guided by the theoretical underpinnings of phenomenology and social constructionism was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from four distinct contexts, three of which were located in Western Australia (WA), including 17 participants from a healthy ageing program; 12 participants who have withdrawn from a healthy ageing program; and 15 participants from a community sample. The fourth sample comprised of 15 participants from a community sample in Wales, United Kingdom (UK). The data revealed that whilst participants described feeling that the dominant discourse in wider society caused them to anticipate ageing as a stage in life centred on experiencing decline and loss (e.g., a decline in mental functioning, or a loss of mobility), it was also evident that psychological, social, and political aspects were of equal, or greater significance to the meaningful understandings they constructed about their personal ageing experience. Further, the data contends that a pressing need exists to evaluate the way in which ageing policy is effectively translated into practice, that is, in a way that closely aligns with the lived experiences of ageing as had by individuals.

Over the past few decades, clearing for shrimp farming has caused severe losses of mangroves in the Mekong Delta (MD) of Vietnam. Although the increasing importance of shrimp aquaculture in Vietnam has brought significant financial benefits to the local communities, the rapid and largely uncontrolled increase in aquacultural area has contributed to a considerable loss of mangrove forests and to environmental degradation. Although different approaches have been used for mangrove classification, no approach to date has addressed the challenges of the special conditions that can be found in the aquaculture-mangrove system in the Ca Mau province of the MD. This paper presents an object-based classification approach for estimating the percentage of mangroves in mixed mangrove-aquaculture farming systems to assist the government to monitor the extent of the shrimp farming area. The method comprises multi-resolution segmentation and classification of SPOT5 data using a decision tree approach as well as local knowledge from the region of interest. The results show accuracies higher than 75% for certain classes at the object level. Furthermore, we successfully detect areas with mixed aquaculture-mangrove land cover with high accuracies. Based on these results, mangrove development, especially within shrimp farming-mangrove systems, can be monitored. However, the mangrove forest cover fraction per object is affected by image segmentation and thus does not always correspond to the real farm boundaries. It remains a serious challenge, then, to accurately map mangrove forest cover within mixed systems.

Context
Aerial baiting using fixed-wing aircraft is an effective method of bait delivery for wild-dog control in remote locations. However, aerial baiting may result in loss of baits to positions that are inaccessible to wild dogs. Attempts, by landholders, to address such bait loss through compensatory baiting may increase baiting costs and potential risks to non-target species.

Aims
To assess bait drift under standard baiting conditions. To assess the availability of aerially deployed baits to wild dogs across several commonly baited landforms in the northern rangelands of Western Australia.

Methods
We determined drift characteristics of baits deployed under standard fixed-wing baiting conditions. We then determined the availability of aerially deployed baits by deploying baits with embedded radio-transmitters across four commonly baited landforms (riparian vegetation, tussock grassland, gorges and breakaways). We then visually assessed the availability of relocated baits (as 'high', 'moderate' or 'low').

Key results
Under standard fixed-wing baiting conditions, on average, baits fell 100.9 m forward, and 8.3 m laterally, from the point-of-release. Across all landforms, most baits (91.8%) were highly available, with a further 7.0% falling into the moderate category and 1.2% in the low category. There were significant differences in bait availability among landforms, with the proportion of moderate-low availability baits greatest in gorges and lowest on tussock grassland.

Conclusions
Within the northern rangelands of Western Australia, bait wastage owing to deployment in inaccessible locations is minimal.

Implications
Compensatory baiting for lost baits is unnecessary and increases costs to land managers.

Distributed generation describes the connection of electricity generation close to the point of use, often directly to the distribution system [5]. Many electrical utilities are facilitating the connection of more distributed generation to replace or supplement centralized generation as a result of political, environmental, or economic pressures. There can be significant environmental and economic advantages related to connecting distributed energy resources; however, successful connections require that utilities overcome several engineering challenges. Distributed generation can impact electrical power systems in multiple areas including power flow direction and magnitude, voltage regulation, protection, and power quality. These impacts vary depending on the characteristics of the generator and the system it is connecting to. Despite these impacts, coordinated connection of distributed generation has the potential to improve electric system reliability and power quality, and reduce peak power requirements and land-use [6]. Centralized generation is often connected to long transmission networks which incur considerable line losses. These transmission networks require significant investment to build and maintain. Connecting generation closer to the customer can reduce line losses. Allowing customers to connect generation can reduce the financial burden on utilities to build and maintain these facilities. 2 This report will focus on the engineering challenges in connecting generation to radial distribution feeders, and is organized as follows: Impacts of Distributed Generation, Level of Impact by Generator and System Characteristics, and Conclusions. ; Applied Science, Faculty of ; Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of ; Unreviewed ; Undergraduate

Раздел I «Актуальные проблемы международного частного права» ; Статья анализирует правовой статус государственных страховщиков, предоставляющих страхование политических рисков национальным инвесторам. Автор изучил особенности страховщиков, включая их правовое положение, роль, которую они играют в национальной экономике, цели и задачи их деятельности. Автор выявил различия между публичным и частным сегментами рынка страхования политических рисков и определил специфику деятельности государственных страховщиков. Автор пришел к выводу, что страхование политических рисков государственными страховщиками направлено не только на покрытие финансовых потерь национальных инвесторов, на распространение среди инвесторов стандартов защиты окружающей среды, соблюдение прав работников и борьбе с коррупцией и на приток прямых инвестиций в принимающее государство. = This article focuses on legal status of state insurance companies which provide investment insurance against various political risks. The author reviews main features of these agencies including their legal status, role in national economy, specific goals of their activity. The research also analyzes the distinctions between of the public and private segments of the political risk insurance market and identifies the specific role of state investment guarantee agencies which they play in national economy. Political risk insurance guarantees the payment of coverage to the investor, mitigates risks of his substantial financial losses and encourages him to invest into developing countries with more risky business environment. Political risk insurance is an effective tool to minimize risks of investor's financial losses in a host state. Thus political risk insurance and the activity of state insurers promote investment flows to developing countries.

Victims of events including road accidents, workplace injuries and medical negligence are compensated in the Irish legal system through once-off lump-sum awards. In cases where victims have suffered incapacitating injuries but have extended life expectancy, these awards include provision for loss of earnings and life-long medical care that can run into millions. Where liability is contested, significant litigation costs also arise, but even where liability is admitted, the determination of quantum is complex, requiring evidence about future medical care costs, loss of earnings, life expectancy and the returns to be expected from the investment of the lump sum award. The once-off lump sum system of compensating successful plaintiffs has been criticised over the years from both legal and economic perspectives, and change was recommended in a Law Reform Commission report in 1996. Mr. Justice Nicholas Kearns, President of the High Court, established recently a working group to consider the issues involved and charged it to report by November 2010. Since 1995, courts in the United Kingdom have been free to award periodic payments, as distinct from once-off lump sums, where the parties agree, and since the passage of the 2003 Courts Act, whether or not they agree. It is opportune to consider whether periodic payments should be introduced in Ireland and this paper reviews the principal economic aspects of the issue. The paper also considers whether a move to periodic payments would require changes to the government bond market, specifically the issuance of long-dated index-linked Exchequer debt.

ABSTRACTManuscript Type: EmpiricalResearch Question/Issue: We examine the effect of compensation committee quality on the association between CEO cash compensation and accounting earnings and the moderating effects of growth opportunities and earnings status.Research Findings/Insights: Using a sample of 812 US firms, we find that CEO cash compensation is more positively associated with accounting earnings when firms have high compensation committee quality. We also find that the positive effect of compensation committee quality on the association between CEO cash compensation and accounting earnings is less for high growth firms or loss‐making firms.Theoretical Implications: We contribute to the agency‐based research on CEO compensation by: 1) directly examining the impact of compensation committee quality on the sensitivity of CEO cash compensation to accounting earnings; 2) examining whether the role of compensation committee quality varies across firms; and 3) developing a broader and richer measure of compensation committee quality.Practical Implications: Our findings imply that shareholders and directors should be concerned about the composition of compensation committees as we find that compensation committee quality varies depending on compensation committee size and other characteristics of the committee members. Our findings also imply that for compensation committee members, there are greater challenges in monitoring CEO compensation contracts for firms with high growth or that incur losses. Further, our findings imply that even when all compensation committees are regulated to be fully independent, there are still quality differences among these independent compensation committees.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: One of the major occupational hazards of working in the military service is being subjected to intense impulse noise, hence acoustic trauma. Acute acoustic trauma is a preventable disease, but the effective treatment modality has not been established yet. Acute acoustic traumas caused by exposure to rifle gunshot noise are common in young Korean males in the military service because of conscription policy. Through the analysis of the clinical presentation of acoustic traumas caused by rifle gunshot noise, we suggest effective preventive modalities. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: 165 soldiers who had otologic symptoms after performing regular rifle gunshot exercise without any hearing protective measures were analyzed. They all had been tested with K2 rifle. History taking, physical examination, pure-tone audiometry, and impedence audiometry, temporal MRI, and Newmann's tinnitus inventory questionnaire survey were performed. RESULTS: Most common and annoying symptom was tinnitus. The average outcome of postexposure air conduction thresholds were 22.3dB HL in the affected ear and 11.8dB HL in the unaffected ear. There was no correlation between severity of tinnitus and severity of hearing loss. Asymmetry of hearing loss related to head position during gunshot was not found. This may be due to the fact that during the mass gunshot training, each patient can be influenced by the gunshot noise of the adjacent gunner's shooting. CONCLUSION: Widening the distance between firing lanes and providing bilateral hearing protective devices against acoustic trauma must be taken into serious consideration. ; open

AbstractThe HIV/AIDS pandemic is a challenge not only to medical understanding but also to understanding about how society works or can be made to work. New treatment regimes have to be matched with new social organisation. Caring and coping present society‐wide challenges and to the need to reinvent key social institutions in order to respond effectively. Existing studies demonstrate the vulnerability of modern, large‐scale state institutions to loss of knowledge, skill and competence in the face of high attrition rates in their pay role staff. Equally, family and kinship as well as other civil society institutions or 'traditional' social structures may be so disrupted by the loss of carers and providers that they cease to generate adequate levels of well‐being and security. The role of key individuals in providing public leadership is recognised but the significance of personal networks in communicating effective messages and mores is more difficult to pin down. Associations and mass movements have emerged that play a vital role in changing social attitudes and behaviour, and social institutions are adapting to the challenge. It appears that diverse social responses are essential, but, I argue, public policy thinking has a 'centralist', hierarchical, bias that discourages' sensible thinking about plural, diverse, strategies. This article seeks to develop a way of thinking about strategy, around the idea of institutional competence, to take account of, and be responsive to, diverse social forms and initiatives. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.