Defining Spatial Conservation Priorities For the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Wallace ◽  
Ariel Reinaga ◽  
Natalia Piland ◽  
Renzo Piana ◽  
F. Hernán Vargas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Priority Setting ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future ◽  
Northern Portion ◽  
Andean Condor ◽  
Vultur Gryphus ◽  
Historical Range

ABSTRACT The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is a culturally iconic wildlife symbol for the South American Andes, but is naturally found at very low population densities, and is increasingly threatened. Using the Range Wide Priority Setting methodology, we (a group of 38 Andean Condor experts) updated the Andean Condor historical range (3,230,061 km2), systematized 9998 Andean Condor distribution points across the range, and identified geographic areas for which there was expert knowledge (66%), including areas where Andean Condors no longer occur (7%), and geographic areas where condors are believed to range, but for which there was not expert knowledge about condor presence (34%). To prioritize conservation action into the future and identify existing Andean Condor population strongholds, we used expert knowledge to identify 21 of the most important areas for the conservation of the species (i.e., Andean Condor Conservation Units [ACCUs]) that cover 37% of the revised historical range, and range in size from 837 km2 to 298,951 km2. In general, ACCUs were relatively small in the northern portion of the range in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru, and significantly larger in the central and southern portion of the range in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, reflecting the reduced and narrower historical range in the northern portion of the range, as well as increased threats. Andean Condors can fly extremely long distances and so the populations of many neighboring ACCUs are probably still functionally connected, although this situation also underlines the need for integrated and large-scale conservation efforts for this species. As a function of the Range Wide Priority Setting results, we make recommendations to ensure population connectivity into the future and engage a wide range of actors in Andean Condor conservation efforts.

scholarly journals Development of research priorities in paediatric pain and palliative care

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Liossi ◽  
Anna-Karenia Anderson ◽  
Richard F Howard ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Priority Setting ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Healthcare Research ◽  
Nominal Group ◽  
Research Network ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future

Priority setting for healthcare research is as important as conducting the research itself because rigorous and systematic processes of priority setting can make an important contribution to the quality of research. This project aimed to prioritise clinical therapeutic uncertainties in paediatric pain and palliative care in order to encourage and inform the future research agenda and raise the profile of paediatric pain and palliative care in the United Kingdom. Clinical therapeutic uncertainties were identified and transformed into patient, intervention, comparison and outcome (PICO) format and prioritised using a modified Nominal Group Technique. Members of the Clinical Studies Group in Pain and Palliative Care within National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (CRN)-Children took part in the prioritisation exercise. There were 11 clinically active professionals spanning across a wide range of paediatric disciplines and one parent representative. The top three research priorities related to establishing the safety and efficacy of (1) gabapentin in the management of chronic pain with neuropathic characteristics, (2) intravenous non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the management of post-operative pain in pre-schoolers and (3) different opioid formulations in the management of acute pain in children while at home. Questions about the long-term effect of psychological interventions in the management of chronic pain and various pharmacological interventions to improve pain and symptom management in palliative care were among the ‘top 10’ priorities. The results of prioritisation were included in the UK Database of Uncertainties about the Effects of Treatments (DUETS) database. Increased awareness of priorities and priority-setting processes should encourage clinicians and other stakeholders to engage in such exercises in the future.

scholarly journals Physical limits of flight performance in the heaviest soaring bird

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (30) ◽  
pp. 17884-17890 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. J. Williams ◽  
E. L. C. Shepard ◽  
Mark D. Holton ◽  
P. A. E. Alarcón ◽  
R. P. Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Flight Time ◽  
Flight Performance ◽  
Flight Costs ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Soaring Birds ◽  
Andean Condor ◽  
Vultur Gryphus

Flight costs are predicted to vary with environmental conditions, and this should ultimately determine the movement capacity and distributions of large soaring birds. Despite this, little is known about how flight effort varies with environmental parameters. We deployed bio-logging devices on the world’s heaviest soaring bird, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), to assess the extent to which these birds can operate without resorting to powered flight. Our records of individual wingbeats in >216 h of flight show that condors can sustain soaring across a wide range of wind and thermal conditions, flapping for only 1% of their flight time. This is among the very lowest estimated movement costs in vertebrates. One bird even flew for >5 h without flapping, covering ∼172 km. Overall, > 75% of flapping flight was associated with takeoffs. Movement between weak thermal updrafts at the start of the day also imposed a metabolic cost, with birds flapping toward the end of glides to reach ephemeral thermal updrafts. Nonetheless, the investment required was still remarkably low, and even in winter conditions with weak thermals, condors are only predicted to flap for ∼2 s per kilometer. Therefore, the overall flight effort in the largest soaring birds appears to be constrained by the requirements for takeoff.

Features of optative modality in Macedonian language (with emphasis on the functionalities of independent da-construction)

2020 ◽  
pp. 301-323
Author(s):  
Natalya I. Kikilo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Literary Language ◽  
Natural Context ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Verb Forms ◽  
Text Types ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Ritual Context

In the Macedonian literary language the analytic da-construction used in an independent clause has a wide range of possible modal meanings, the most common of which are imperative and optative. The present article offers a detailed analysis of the semantics and functions of the Macedonian optative da-construction based on fiction and journalistic texts. The first part of the article deals with the specificities of the optative as a category which primarily considers the subject of a wish. In accordance with the semantic characteristics of this category, optative constructions are used in those discourse text types where the speakers are explicitly designated (the most natural context for the optative is the dialogue). The analysis of the Macedonian material includes instances of atypical usage of the optative da-construction, in which the wish of the subject is not apparent and thereby produces new emotional tonalities perceptible to the reader of a fiction/journalistic text. The study describes Macedonian constructions involving two different verb forms: 1) present tense form (da + praes) and 2) imperfective form (da + impf). These constructions formally designate the hypothetical and counterfactual status of the optative situation, respectively. Thus, the examples in the analysis are ordered according to two types of constructions, which reflect the speaker’s view on the probability of the realisation of his/her wish. Unrealistic wishes can be communicated through the present da-construction, while the imperfective construction denotes situations in which the wish can be realised in the future. The second part of the article is devoted to performative optative da-constructions, which express formulas of speech etiquette, wishes and curses. The analysis demonstrates that these constructions lose their magical functions, when used outside of the ritual context, and begin to function as interjections.

scholarly journals Frequency Division Multiplexing of Terahertz Waves Realized by Diffractive Optical Elements

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6246
Author(s):  
Paweł Komorowski ◽  
Patrycja Czerwińska ◽  
Mateusz Kaluza ◽  
Mateusz Surma ◽  
Przemysław Zagrajek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Division Multiplexing ◽  
Diffractive Optical Elements ◽  
Frequency Division ◽  
Terahertz Waves ◽  
Optical Elements ◽  
Telecommunication Systems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future ◽  
Wireless Telecommunication ◽  
Finite Distance

Recently, one of the most commonly discussed applications of terahertz radiation is wireless telecommunication. It is believed that the future 6G systems will utilize this frequency range. Although the exact technology of future telecommunication systems is not yet known, it is certain that methods for increasing their bandwidth should be investigated in advance. In this paper, we present the diffractive optical elements for the frequency division multiplexing of terahertz waves. The structures have been designed as a combination of a binary phase grating and a converging diffractive lens. The grating allows for differentiating the frequencies, while the lens assures separation and focusing at the finite distance. Designed structures have been manufactured from polyamide PA12 using the SLS 3D printer and verified experimentally. Simulations and experimental results are shown for different focal lengths. Moreover, parallel data transmission is shown for two channels of different carrier frequencies propagating in the same optical path. The designed structure allowed for detecting both signals independently without observable crosstalk. The proposed diffractive elements can work in a wide range of terahertz and sub-terahertz frequencies, depending on the design assumptions. Therefore, they can be considered as an appealing solution, regardless of the band finally used by the future telecommunication systems.

Digital Authoritarianism and the Future of Human Rights

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Tiberiu Dragu ◽  
Yonatan Lupu
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Theoretic Model ◽  
Human Rights Abuses ◽  
Human Rights Regime ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future ◽  
Technological Developments ◽  
Game Theoretic ◽  
Strategic Context

Abstract How will advances in digital technology affect the future of human rights and authoritarian rule? Media figures, public intellectuals, and scholars have debated this relationship for decades, with some arguing that new technologies facilitate mobilization against the state and others countering that the same technologies allow authoritarians to strengthen their grip on power. We address this issue by analyzing the first game-theoretic model that accounts for the dual effects of technology within the strategic context of preventive repression. Our game-theoretical analysis suggests that technological developments may not be detrimental to authoritarian control and may, in fact, strengthen authoritarian control by facilitating a wide range of human rights abuses. We show that technological innovation leads to greater levels of abuses to prevent opposition groups from mobilizing and increases the likelihood that authoritarians will succeed in preventing such mobilization. These results have broad implications for the human rights regime, democratization efforts, and the interpretation of recent declines in violent human rights abuses.

Report on CLEF 2019

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-118
Author(s):  
Martin Braschler ◽  
Linda Cappellato ◽  
Fabio Crestani ◽  
Nicola Ferro ◽  
Gundula Heinatz Bürki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Standard Test ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Test Collections ◽  
Lessons Learnt ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future ◽  
20Th Anniversary

This is a report on the tenth edition of the Conference and Labs of the Evaluation Forum (CLEF 2019), held from September 9--12, 2019, in Lugano, Switzerland. CLEF was a four day event combining a Conference and an Evaluation Forum. The Conference featured keynotes by Bruce Croft, Yair Neuman, and Miguel Martínez, and presentation of peer reviewed research papers covering a wide range of topics in addition to many posters. The Evaluation Forum consisted to nine Labs: CENTRE, CheckThat, eHealth, eRisk, ImageCLEF, LifeCLEF, PAN, PIR-CLEF, and ProtestNews, addressing a wide range of tasks, media, languages, and ways to go beyond standard test collections. CLEF 2019 marked the 20th anniversary of CLEF, which was celebrated with a dedicated session and a book on the lessons learnt in twenty years of evaluation activities and the future perspectives for CLEF. CLEF 2019 also introduced the Industry Days to further extend the reach and impact of CLEF.

The Australia and New Zealand v Japan Southern Bluefin Tuna (Jurisdiction and Admissibility) Award of the First Law of the Sea Convention Annex VII Arbitral Tribunal

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Kwiatkowska
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Bluefin Tuna ◽  
Fundamental Principle ◽  
Law Of The Sea ◽  
Arbitral Tribunal ◽  
Compulsory Arbitration ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future ◽  
Questions And Answers ◽  
Southern Bluefin Tuna

AbstractThe Southern Bluefin Tuna (Jurisdiction and Admissihilily) Award of 4 August 2000 marked the first instance of the application of compulsory arbitration under Part XV, Section 2 of the 1982 UN Law of the Sea Convention and of the exercise by the Annex VII Tribunal of la compétence de la compétence pursuant to Article 288(4) over the merits of the instant dispute. The 72-paragraph Award is a decision of pronounced procedural complexity and significant multifaceted impacts of which appreciation requires an in-depth acquaintance with procedural issues of peaceful settlement of disputes in general and the-law-of-the-sea-related disputes in particular. Therefore, the article surveys first the establishment of and the course of proceedings before the five-member Annex VII Arbitral Tribunal, presided over by the immediate former ICJ President, Judge Stephen M. Schwebel, and also comprising Judges Keith, Yamada. Feliciano and Tresselt. Subsequently, the wide range of specific paramount questions and answers of the Tribunal are scrutinised against the background of arguments advanced by the applicants (Australia and New Zealand) and the respondent (Japan) during both written and oral pleadings, including in reliance on the extensive ICJ jurisprudence and treaty practice concerned. On this basis, the article turns to an appraisal of the impacts of the Arbitral Tribunal's paramount holdings and its resultant dismissal of jurisdiction with the scrupulous regard for the fundamental principle of consensuality. Amongst such direct impacts as between the parties to the instant case, the inducements provided by the Award to reach a successful settlement in the future are of particular importance. The Award's indirect impacts concern exposition of the paramount doctrine of parallelism between the umbrella UN Convention and many compatible (fisheries, environmental and other) treaties, as well as of multifaceted, both substantial and procedural effects of that parallelism. All those contributions will importantly guide other courts and tribunals seised in the future under the Convention's Part XV, Section 2.

Future changes in Beijing haze events under different shared socioeconomic pathways

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Guo ◽  
Laura Wilcox ◽  
Massimo Bollasina ◽  
Steven Turnock ◽  
Marianne Lund ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Greenhouse Gases Emissions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future ◽  
Aerosol Emissions

<p>The occurrence of severe haze events remains a serious problem in Beijing. Previous studies suggested that the frequency of weather patterns conducive to haze may increase with global warming. The new Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) cover a wide range of uncertainties in aerosol and greenhouse gases emissions. Global and Chinese aerosol emissions are projected to decrease in most SSPs, while increases in greenhouse gases and global warming will continue for the rest of the century. The future, therefore, remains unclear.</p><p>We quantified the air pollution over Beijing and associated weather patterns using multiple indices calculated from the SSPs</p><p>We show that the occurrence of weather patterns conducive to the formation of haze significantly increases by the end of the century due to increases in greenhouse gases. Aerosol reductions also cause an increase in their occurrence, but reduce the severity of haze, and overall reducing aerosol emissions will be beneficial.</p>

Comparing different block propagation modelling approaches using the Platrock simulation platform 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Acary ◽  
Franck Bourrier ◽  
David Toe ◽  
Francois Kneib
Keyword(s):  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Material Point ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Propagation Models ◽  
Rockfall Hazard ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Natural Terrain ◽  
Block Propagation ◽  
Propagation Modelling ◽  
Modelling Approaches

<p><br>Block propagation models are routinely used for the quantitative assessment of rockfall hazard. In these models, one of the major difficulties is the development of physically consistent and field applicable approaches to model the interaction between the block and the natural terrain. For most of propagation models, a thorough calibration of the input parameters is not available over the wide range of configurations encountered in practice. Consequently, the parameters choice is strongly depending on expert knowledge. In addition, most of models exhibit substantial sensitivity to some parameters, i.e. small changes of these parameters entail large differences in the simulation results.</p><p>The trajectory analysis platform Platrock, freely available upon request (contact: [email protected]), allows performing 2D and 3D simulations using both material point rebound models and models, based on non-smooth mechanics, that explicitly account for block shape. This platform provides several simulation tools for detailed analyses of block propagation on study sites.</p><p>The possibilities of the predictive capabilities of different block propagation modelling approaches integrated into the Platrock platform have been assessed on a well-documented study site, where a benchmark of propagation models has been done in the context of C2ROP research project. This analysis emphasized the capacities of trajectory analyses to traduce block propagation but also demonstrated their substantial sensitivity to model parameters. The results from these simulations cannot be relevantly interpreted if they are not accompanied with calibration proofs, sensitivity analysis, and detailed interpretation of the results from the expert in charge of the study.</p>

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