scholarly journals Neophobia in 10 ungulate species—a comparative approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alina Schaffer ◽  
Alvaro L. Caicoya ◽  
Montserrat Colell ◽  
Ruben Holland ◽  
Lorenzo von Fersen ◽  
...  

Abstract Neophobia (the fearful reaction to novel stimuli or situations) has a crucial effect on individual fitness and can vary within and across species. However, the factors predicting this variation are still unclear. In this study, we assessed whether individual characteristics (rank, social integration, sex) and species socio-ecological characteristics (dietary breadth, group size, domestication) predicted variation in neophobia. For this purpose, we conducted behavioral observations and experimental tests on 78 captive individuals belonging to 10 different ungulate species—an ideal taxon to study inter-specific variation in neophobia given their variety in socio-ecological characteristics. Individuals were tested in their social groups by providing them with familiar food, half of which had been positioned close to a novel object. We monitored the individual latency to approach and eat food and the proportion of time spent in its proximity. Using a phylogenetic approach and social network analyses, we showed that across ungulate species neophobia was higher in socially more integrated individuals, as compared to less integrated ones. In contrast, rank and sex did not predict inter-individual differences in neophobia. Moreover, species differed in their levels of neophobia, with Barbary sheep being on average less neophobic than all the other study species. As group size in Barbary sheep was larger than in all the other study species, these results support the hypothesis that larger group size predicts lower levels of neophobia, and confirm ungulates as a highly promising taxon to study animal behavior and cognition with a comparative perspective. Significance statement In several species, individuals may respond fearfully to novel stimuli, therefore reducing the risks they may face. However, it is yet unclear if certain individuals or species respond more fearfully to novelty. Here, we provided food to 78 individual ungulates with different characteristics (e.g., sex, rank, social integration, group size, domestication, dietary breadth) in different controlled conditions (e.g., when food was close to novel or to familiar objects). Across species, we found that socially integrated individuals responded more fearfully in all species. Moreover, being in larger groups decreased the probability of fearfully responding to novelty.

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 467
Author(s):  
Antonio Alaminos ◽  
Clemente Penalva ◽  
Luca Raffini ◽  
Óscar Santacreu

Non-conventional participation has dramatically spread because of cultural and social change, favouring a deinstitutionalisation of politics. To verify if there is a link between this spread of non-conventional participation and the mobility of Europeans living in other European countries, we have explored the data gathered by the MOVEACT European project, including data on the political behaviour of “old Europeans” (British and Germans), and “new” Europeans” (Poles and Romanians), resident in Greece, France, Italy and Spain. Our analysis has confirmed that a plurality of variables affect the relation between movers and non-conventional participation. There are three relevant dimensions to explain the unconventional political participation of EU movers: social integration, situational context and individual characteristics. On the other hand, the key aspect to understand the non-conventional participation of EU movers is the degree of Cognitive Political Mobilisation, together with other factors such as membership of associations, family socialisation, expectations of living in the country of residence in the future or the political culture in the country of origin.


2013 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boumediene Medjahdi ◽  
Assia Ltreuch-Belarouci ◽  
Rémy Prelli

Français. Un inventaire des ptéridophytes a été entrepris dans les forêts de la région de Tlemcen. L’inventaire de ces populations constitue une étape importante pour le développement des stratégies de conservation des ressources génétiques et de la diversité de ces populations sur l’ensemble de leur aire de distribution naturelle. Nous avons ainsi effectué le recensement et l’identification des fougères existantes dans la région de Tlemcen. Au total, plusieurs stations dont les caractéristiques écologiques diffèrent d’un site à un autre ont été prospectées, cela a permis l’identification de 26 taxons (dont 5 exceptionnellement rare). La création de réserves naturelles forestières renforcée par une protection réglementaire des espèces les plus menacées est nécessaire pour le maintien de ces communautés si particulières. English. An inventory of Pteridophyta was begun in the forests of the Tlemcen region. The inventory of these populations constitutes an important stage for the developement of the strategies of preservation of the genetic resources and the diversity of these populations on their whole area of natural distribution. We so made the inventory and the identification of the existing ferns in the region of Tlemcen. On the whole, several stations the ecological characteristics differ from a site in the other one were canvassed; they allowed the identification of 26 taxes (among which 5 exceptionally rare). The creation of forest nature reserves strengthened by a statutory protection of the most threatened species is necessary for the preservation of these particular communities.


1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Evans ◽  
Anthony Heath

In their article ‘Constituency Characteristics, Individual Characteristics and Tactical Voting in the 1987 British General Election’, Niemi, Whitten and Franklin claim that in the 1987 general election ‘about one in every six voters … had tactical considerations in mind in deciding whom to vote for’. As they point out, this figure is far higher than Heath et al.'s estimate of 6.5 per cent of major party voters having ‘a tactical motivation for their vote’. It is also far higher than estimates obtained by other analyses of the 1987 election using aggregate data. In this Note we point to methodological weaknesses in Niemi, Whitten and Franklin's article which indicate that their estimate is unlikely to be a valid measure of tactical voting, at least of the concept as customarily understood by political scientists. Indeed, when looked at carefully, the evidence they present to support their expanded estimate of tactical voting serves only to re-affirm the original claims of Heath and his colleagues and the other conservative estimates of the prevalence of tactical voting.


2019 ◽  
Vol 168 ◽  
pp. 615-629
Author(s):  
Snežana Božić

The motif of death in teaching literatureThis paper includes a survey of the affective and cognitive limitations in the students’ perception of the motif of death, particularly when it appears as the main theme in literary works analyzed in class. The author explores the frequency of such texts in the curriculum and provides specific psychological-pedagogical findings, which should be considered and applied. Furthermore, the paper contains certain methodological solutions applicable in some stages of interpretation that refer to the analysis of the motif of death. The solutions, on the one hand, take into consideration the values and the significance of the work itself, and on the other hand, the age of students and their individual characteristics such as personality, sensibility, the experience of the death of their loved ones or its lack. The insights and suggestions are related to the results of an online questionnaire conducted among teachers of literature about their approach to the motif of death in teaching, which is presented in this paper.  Aнализ мотивa смерти на уроках литературы в школеВ статье рассматриваются аффективные и когнитивные ограничения в восприятии мотивa смерти школьниками, особенно в том случае, когда этот мотив является одним из ведущих в литературном произведении, анализируемом на уроке литературы. Исследуется количество таких текстов в учебной программе, анализируются определенные психолого-педагогические знания, которые надо учитывать в учебном процессе. Предлагаются методические рекомендации по интерпретации мотива смерти. С одной стороны, эти рекомендации учитывают ценность и значение самого литературного текста, а с другой — возраст и другие индивидуальные характеристики учащихся характер, чувствительность, опыт/отсутствие опыта. Выводы и предложения в статье сопоставляются с результатами проведенного среди преподавателей литературы онлайн-опроса, касающегося методики интерпретации мотива смерти на уроках литературы. В статье представлены результаты проведенного опроса.


Author(s):  
Fatma Abdusalam Erighib Fatma Abdusalam Erighib

This study aimed at focusing on the role of universities in serving society and the surrounding environment during unstable (emergency) conditions, following the comparative approach with some models from western and Arab universities on one hand, and Libyan experience one the other hand, The approach of the case study is applying to Libyan universities during and after the February 17 revolution, This has a clear impact on all components of Libya society and universities, including the fact that, They are the most important and influential institutions in society in various settings at the international, regional and local levels. Also the study found that this role was generally weak, if any related to role was addressing the internal crises that universities are in between and lack of clear plans for universities Libyan universities in particular have been recommended to propose a strategy for activating the role of universities in community participation and contributing to the community participation and contributing to the community service of various institutions during unstable condition.


Author(s):  
Julia Watzek ◽  
Will Whitham ◽  
David A. Washburn ◽  
Sarah F. Brosnan

The Monty Hall Dilemma (MHD) is a simple probability puzzle famous for its counterintuitive solution. Participants initially choose among three doors, one of which conceals a prize. A different door is opened and shown not to contain the prize. Participants are then asked whether they would like to stay with their original choice or switch to the other remaining door. Although switching doubles the chances of winning, people overwhelmingly choose to stay with their original choice. To assess how experience and the chance of winning affect decisions in the MHD, we used a comparative approach to test 264 college students, 24 capuchin monkeys, and 7 rhesus macaques on a nonverbal, computerized version of the game. Participants repeatedly experienced the outcome of their choices and we varied the chance of winning by changing the number of doors (three or eight). All species quickly and consistently switched doors, especially in the eight-door condition. After the computer task, we presented humans with the classic text version of the MHD to test whether they would generalize the successful switch strategy from the computer task. Instead, participants showed their characteristic tendency to stick with their pick, regardless of the number of doors. This disconnect between strategies in the classic version and a repeated nonverbal task with the same underlying probabilities may arise because they evoke different decision-making processes, such as explicit reasoning versus implicit learning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 8673-8684
Author(s):  
Sebastián Alfonso Guzmán Cabrera ◽  
Adelaida María Gaviria Rivera ◽  
Jhon Alveiro Quiroz Gamboa ◽  
Dario Antonio Castañeda Sánchez

Physalis peruviana L. is currently the second fruit crop more exported of Colombia; however, the pests associated with the culture have been little studied which is important considering that some Noctuidae can cause a decrease of 20% in its production. In this research, the Noctuidae species related to P. peruviana were studied in three farms of La Unión, Antioquia, Colombia. Twelve sampling units, with 30- and 45-day transplanted plants, were distributed throughout the farms and sampled biweekly from March 1st to August 29th of 2014. In the plant canopy and the planted area, immature stages were registered, and statistic models were built in order to describe their trend. The taxonomic identification of adults was made by comparing with the Noctuidae collection of Museo Entomológico Francisco Luis Gallego at Universidad Nacional de Colombia – Sede Medellín, and by using taxonomic keys. Nine Noctuidae species were found in total. Six models were built, four oviposition models for Agrotis ipsilon and Spodoptera spp., Copitarsia decolora and Heliothis subflexa, Megalographa biloba, and Peridroma saucia; a model for larvae and pupae stages was built. The oviposition model for P. saucia was the more adjusted, with a Root mean squared predictive difference (RMSPD) of 0.84. The other studied models were suitable to describe the trend of the immature stages; except for M. biloba model. This research revealed the ecological characteristics of the Noctuidae species associated with the golden berry crop that affect its productivity. 


Obiter ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maleka Femida Cassim

A crucial prerequisite for a derivative action is that the applicant must be acting in good faith in terms of section 165(5)(b)(i) of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 in order to obtain the leave of the court to bring the proposed derivative action. Both the Supreme Court of Appeal and the High Court have recently made important pronouncements of legal principle on the approach that the courts would take to the determination of good faith for the purposes of the statutory derivative action under section 165 of the Companies Act. These judicial findings relate not only to the complex issue of how to prove good faith but also to the meaning and content of the requirement of good faith. The courts have now reached a crossroads in delineating the content of good faith and how it is to be proved. This two-part series of articles critically evaluates these judicial pronouncements. While the focus of these articles is mainly on the tangled requirement of good faith, relevant judicial findings on the other prerequisites for a derivative action under section 165(5)(b) read with (7) and (8) of the Companies Act are also discussed. A comparative approach is adopted that takes into account the jurisprudence developed in Australia, Canada and Singapore. This article, the first in the series of two articles, focuses on the test of good faith. The proof of good faith will be discussed in the second article.


Axon ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Struffolino

On the leg of one of the colossal statues on the facade of the great funerary temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel, in Nubia, Archon son of Amoibichos and Peleqos son of Eudamos, two mercenaries of Greek-Carian origin who militated in the ranks of the Egyptian Army, engrave a five lines inscription in which they recall the salient data of the expedition against the Nubian populations launched by the pharaoh of the XXVI dynasty Psammethicus II between 593 and 592 BC. The different origins of the people who left their mark in this and in the other graffiti on the Abu Simbel temple, explained by the palaeographic and dialectal peculiarities of the texts, confirm what we can learn from other sources, above all Herodotus, on the opening of the Saitic Egypt to external presences, also organised in stable settlements. The reasons for such a reception were certainly of an economic nature, but it is undeniable that for the Egyptians a considerable advantage came also from the possibility of exploiting the new military potentials of the Greek hoplite tactics, contributing to the spread of a mercenary service that encouraged different degrees of ethnic and social integration.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Priscila Larangeira Carvalho ◽  
Fernanda Ribeiro de Araújo ◽  
Rodolfo Eduardo Scachetti ◽  
María Jesús Freire Seoane ◽  
Nancy Ramacciotti de Oliveira-Monteiro

Although there is no standardization of the notion of competence and for the instruments used in its evaluation, generic competences are associated with employability, and understood as a composition of cognitive and practical abilities, behavioral and social skills, gathering individual characteristics and qualities required for activities of different professions. Education promotes the development of specific competences for the exercise of certain occupations, in addition to opportunities for increasing generic competences, which are also required in the labor market. This study targets to evaluate self-perception of the valuation of generic competences acquired in undergraduate students from nocturnal courses of Brazilian private university, according to area of knowledge and condition of being or not inserted in the labor market. 1,001 of these students were evaluated in the third year of their graduation, using the Generic Competences Scale. The highest value in the global sample was attributed to Responsibility at work, followed by Ethical commitment and, thirdly, by Capacity to learn. At the other end, of lesser value, were Capacity for organization and planning, Ability to manage information and Problem solving. These results were compared with data from other studies, in Latin America and Europe.


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