Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
299
result(s) for
"Foster, Wendy"
Sort by:
German for dummies
Introduces conversational German, with useful phrases for greeting others, making small talk, and shopping, as well as tips on improving grammar and vocabulary.
Book
Monitoring for adaptive management in a trial reintroduction of the black-footed rock-wallaby Petrogale lateralis
Reintroduction practitioners must often make critical decisions about reintroduction protocols despite having little understanding of the reintroduction biology of the focal species. To enhance the available knowledge on the reintroduction biology of the warru, or black-footed rock-wallaby Petrogale lateralis MacDonnell Ranges race, we conducted a trial reintroduction of 16 captive individuals into a fenced predator and competitor exclosure on the An̲angu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia. We conducted seven trapping sessions and used radio-tracking and camera traps to monitor survival, reproduction and recruitment to the population over 36 months. Blood samples were collected pre-release and during two trapping sessions post-release to assess nutritional health. The survival rate of founders was 63%, with all losses occurring within 10 weeks of release. Post-release blood biochemistry indicated that surviving warru adapted to their new environment and food sources. Female warru conceived within 6 months of release; 28 births were recorded during the study period and 52% of births successfully recruited to the population. Our results suggest that captive-bred warru are capable of establishing and persisting in the absence of introduced predators. However, the high mortality rate immediately post-release, with only a modest recruitment rate, suggests that future releases into areas where predators and competitors are present should use a trial approach to determine the viability of reintroduction. We recommend that future releases of warru into unfenced areas include an intensive monitoring period in the first 3 months post-release followed by a comprehensive long-term monitoring schedule to facilitate effective adaptive management.
Journal Article
German all-in-one for dummies
German All-in-One For Dummies brings together content from German For Dummies, 2nd Edition, German For Dummies Audio Set, German Phrases For Dummies, Intermediate German For Dummies, and German Essentials For Dummies. Plus, it includes a new CD that allows for even more opportunities to practice speaking the language, as well as additional content on grammar and usage to empower you to use and speak German like a native.--Publisher description.
Book
Services for Business at City Business Library
The City Business Library is a public reference library funded by the City of London Corporation and based in the heart of the City of London. It is open to everyone and provides access to a wealth of free business information resources. In addition the Library delivers many business seminars, workshops and 121s ranging from how to use new media for business growth to how to access funding as well as CV and job searching strategies sessions. The author's biggest area of work is supporting businesses that are starting and growing -- start-up, sole traders, micro, small and medium enterprises. Like many library authorities users subscribe to the COBRA database which details the nuts and bolts of starting, running and growing a business; from writing a business plan to employing staff and exporting. They have market research databases covering the UK and global markets to help business owners to understand the current and predicted trends in markets for the next 5+ years.
Journal Article
Regulation of Parkinson’s disease-associated genes by Pumilio proteins and microRNAs in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common age-related, neurodegenerative disease. A small collection of genes has been linked to Parkinson’s disease including LRRK2 , SAT1 , and SNCA , the latter of which encodes the protein alpha-synuclein that aggregates in Lewy bodies as a hallmark of the disease. Overexpression of even wild-type versions of these genes can lead to pathogenesis, yet the regulatory mechanisms that control protein production of the genes are not fully understood. Pumilio proteins belong to the highly conserved PUF family of eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression through binding conserved motifs in the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of mRNA targets known as PUF Recognition Elements (PREs). The 3’UTRs of LRRK2 , SNCA and SAT1 each contain multiple putative PREs. Knockdown (KD) of the two human Pumilio homologs (Pumilio 1 and Pumilio 2) in a neurodegenerative model cell line, SH-SY5Y, resulted in increased SNCA and LRRK2 mRNA, as well as alpha-synuclein levels, suggesting these genes are normally repressed by the Pumilio proteins. Some studies have indicated a relationship between Pumilio and microRNA activities on the same target, especially when their binding sites are close together. LRRK2 , SNCA , and SAT1 each contain several putative microRNA-binding sites within the 3’UTR, some of which reside near PREs. Small RNA-seq and microRNA qPCR assays were performed in both wild type and Pumilio KD SH-SY5Y cells to analyze global and differential microRNA expression. One thousand four hundred and four microRNAs were detected across wild type and Pumilio KD cells. Twenty-one microRNAs were differentially expressed between treatments, six of which were previously established to be altered in Parkinson’s disease patient samples or research models. Expression of ten miRs predicted to target LRRK2 and SNCA was verified by RT-qPCR. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Pumilios and microRNAs play a multi-faceted role in regulating Parkinson’s disease-associated genes.
Journal Article
Behavioral Monitoring of Big Cats Involved in ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ Zoo Visitor Tours
While interactive tours have been argued to hold great conservation potential for zoo visitors, the influence on the participating animal’s behavior is often ignored. To investigate this, we observed the behavior of one Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) and three African lions (Panthera leo leo) involved in a protected contact tour, as well as that of three cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) involved in a hands-on tour, at Zoos South Australia. Instantaneous scan sampling (30-s intervals) was used to record animal behavior before, during, and after behind-the-scenes tours, as well as for equivalent times on non-tour days, over a three-month period. Estimated proximity (close, < 2 m; moderate, 2-5 m; and distant, > 5 m) to humans was also recorded as an indirect measure of interaction. The animals in the protected contact tour displayed decreased inactivity and increased feeding and pacing during the tours, compared to before and after. We suggest that the increased pacing is more associated with the animals being fed during the tours, rather than the tours being a stressful experience. Those in the hands-on tour showed variation in proportions of multiple behavior categories and primarily these were shifts in species-typical behaviors. In contrast to those in the protected contact tour, they showed decreased pacing during the tour sessions. No aggressive or otherwise antagonistic behaviors directed at humans were observed by animals in either tour, with these animals typically spending more than half of their tour times in distant proximity to keepers and visitors. Combined, these findings indicate that large felid behavior may be altered by participation in interactive tours, but that these changes are not necessarily indicative of compromised wellbeing. Additional research is needed to determine the impact that these experiences are having on the welfare of the animals. This study reinforces the potential for behavioral monitoring to be used as a method for assessing the influence of visitors on zoo animals.
Journal Article
Behavioral Monitoring of Big Cats Involved in ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ Zoo
While interactive tours have been argued to hold great conservation potential for zoo visitors, the influence on the participating animal’s behavior is often ignored. To investigate this, we observed the behavior of one Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) and three African lions (Panthera leo leo) involved in a protected contact tour, as well as that of three cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) involved in a hands-on tour, at Zoos South Australia. Instantaneous scan sampling (30-s intervals) was used to record animal behavior before, during, and after behind-the-scenes tours, as well as for equivalent times on non-tour days, over a three-month period. Estimated proximity (close, < 2 m; moderate, 2-5 m; and distant, > 5 m) to humans was also recorded as an indirect measure of interaction. The animals in the protected contact tour displayed decreased inactivity and increased feeding and pacing during the tours, compared to before and after. We suggest that the increased pacing is more associated with the animals being fed during the tours, rather than the tours being a stressful experience. Those in the hands-on tour showed variation in proportions of multiple behavior categories and primarily these were shifts in species-typical behaviors. In contrast to those in the protected contact tour, they showed decreased pacing during the tour sessions. No aggressive or otherwise antagonistic behaviors directed at humans were observed by animals in either tour, with these animals typically spending more than half of their tour times in distant proximity to keepers and visitors. Combined, these findings indicate that large felid behavior may be altered by participation in interactive tours, but that these changes are not necessarily indicative of compromised wellbeing. Additional research is needed to determine the impact that these experiences are having on the welfare of the animals. This study reinforces the potential for behavioral monitoring to be used as a method for assessing the influence of visitors on zoo animals.
Journal Article
Modelling Girls' Activities, Making IT Relevant: An Exploratory Approach to Promoting Technology Fluency Through Non-Formal Learning Design
Women remain under-represented in technology-creation fields. While studies have shown that the middle-school years are particularly important for motivating positive interest in science and technology fields, one issue that arises is how to engage girls, at the critical middle-school age, in IT related practice. In this thesis, I describe a mixed methods approach to the development of flexible heuristics, derived from the implementation of an interactive storytelling and game design workshop, to engage middle-school girls in technology-creation activities. Girls. technology-creation needs and preferences are explored from a study of the everyday activities of a purposive sample of 30 middle-school children, along with analysis of story and game projects developed by workshop participants. Such design heuristics, derived from insights gained during the course of the workshop and from activity study data, contribute to technology fluency objectives and ongoing, practice-based research in the fields of nonformal learning and IT education.
Dissertation
Living in Harmony with Wildlife
Planet Earth is expected to support an estimated human population of 9 billion people by 2050. One of the questions this brings to mind is whether this large human population will leave room for other species? Already, the health of people, animals (domestic and 'wild') and the environment is inextricably interconnected, and there has been an unprecedented increase in emerging zoonotic diseases, rates of extinction of non-human species and human-animal conflict. As cities and agricultural lands expand, and natural environments shrink, humans and domestic animals are coming into closer and more frequent contact with 'wild' animals, at the same time as numbers of truly wild animals are declining. This chapter explores the 'dark side' of the effect of consumption and technology on the 'built' and 'natural' environment, before promoting connections between disciplines and research areas to foster development of healthy 'green' environments and human pro-conservation behaviours that ensure 'zero waste'. The potential role that conservation psychology and zoos may play in promoting design of sustainable environments for ethical human-wildlife coexistence is discussed. Findings from the Human Zoo Project conducted at Adelaide Zoo (Adelaide, South Australia) illustrate the point that built environments should be assessed from multiple points of view, including those of animals and people visiting or using the site. Only when we take the ecological and behavioural needs of all species in an environment into account can we ensure the welfare of all.
Book Chapter