scholarly journals Developing and evaluating tools to assess the impact of chimpanzee sanctuaries via a unique zoo-sanctuary partnership

Author(s):  
Bethany K Hansen ◽  
Stephen R Ross ◽  
Lydia M Hopper ◽  
Amy Fultz

Sanctuaries are crucial to the survival and welfare of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). They also play an important role in educating the public about chimpanzee behavior and conservation. However, as many sanctuaries lack the capacity to collect long-term data, there is no standardized protocol for evaluating these aims. To address this, the Lincoln Park Zoo, USA, has partnered with Chimp Haven, Inc., USA. Chimp Haven houses nearly 200 chimpanzees in several enclosure types including traditional indoor-outdoor runs (~20m2 in area), open-top corrals (~300m2), and large forested habitats (up to 24,000m2). By leveraging the expertise from both institutions we will evaluate the aims of the sanctuary considering both the behavior and welfare of the chimpanzees and the impact of the sanctuary’s public education program. To address the first aim, we will use non-invasive focal observations to evaluate whether and how different housing types affect the chimpanzees’ activity budgets, enclosure usage, and social interactions. To inquire about the success of the second aim, we will evaluate education programs at Chimp Haven during which the public can view the chimpanzees. We will investigate whether public viewing opportunities affect the chimpanzees’ behavior through the use of observational data collected on the chimpanzees. Simultaneously, we will evaluate the learning outcomes and attitudes of visitors at Chimp Haven, using questionnaires and observations of visitor behavior. Findings from this research will inform decisions about the care and management of captive chimpanzees. This research will also provide information about how sanctuaries can best engage and educate the public.

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany K Hansen ◽  
Stephen R Ross ◽  
Lydia M Hopper ◽  
Amy Fultz

Sanctuaries are crucial to the survival and welfare of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). They also play an important role in educating the public about chimpanzee behavior and conservation. However, as many sanctuaries lack the capacity to collect long-term data, there is no standardized protocol for evaluating these aims. To address this, the Lincoln Park Zoo, USA, has partnered with Chimp Haven, Inc., USA. Chimp Haven houses nearly 200 chimpanzees in several enclosure types including traditional indoor-outdoor runs (~20m2 in area), open-top corrals (~300m2), and large forested habitats (up to 24,000m2). By leveraging the expertise from both institutions we will evaluate the aims of the sanctuary considering both the behavior and welfare of the chimpanzees and the impact of the sanctuary’s public education program. To address the first aim, we will use non-invasive focal observations to evaluate whether and how different housing types affect the chimpanzees’ activity budgets, enclosure usage, and social interactions. To inquire about the success of the second aim, we will evaluate education programs at Chimp Haven during which the public can view the chimpanzees. We will investigate whether public viewing opportunities affect the chimpanzees’ behavior through the use of observational data collected on the chimpanzees. Simultaneously, we will evaluate the learning outcomes and attitudes of visitors at Chimp Haven, using questionnaires and observations of visitor behavior. Findings from this research will inform decisions about the care and management of captive chimpanzees. This research will also provide information about how sanctuaries can best engage and educate the public.


2013 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell B. East ◽  
J. Daren Riedle ◽  
Day B. Ligon

Context Monitoring populations of long-lived species requires continuous long-term efforts. This is especially applicable for species that have experienced declines range-wide. Aims Our study assessed the current status of a population of wild Macrochelys temminckii and compared the present results to those from a survey conducted nearly a decade ago. Methods Trapping in 2010–2011 was conducted on two creeks within the refuge, during the months of May–July. Capture data were compared with data collected by similar methods in 1997–2001. Key results The population structure of M. temminckii was dominated by juveniles, with few large adults or small juveniles detected and a missing size class was evident. Retrospective analysis of 1997–2001 data revealed that the population was likely to be in decline even then, despite high capture rates. Conclusions The M. temminckii population showed significant declines that indicated that the population had experienced stressors of unknown origin. The status of M. temminckii at the refuge is concerning, given the protection afforded this remnant population. Implications Short-term data from 1997–2001 indicated a healthy M. temminckii population, whereas longer-term data showed that the population has declined, resulting in significant demographic changes. Continued monitoring will be necessary to develop management recommendations and track the impact of implemented management practices. Longer-term monitoring of long-lived vertebrates is required to identify population trends.


Author(s):  
N. Dolzhenko ◽  
E. Mailyanova ◽  
I. Assilbekova ◽  
Z. Konakbay

Cloudiness and range of visibility are the most significant flight conditions for aircraft. The impact of clouds and visibility on the safety of aircraft flights, especially small aircraft, cannot be overestimated. According to the Interstate Air Committee, Kazakhstan ranks second in the number of aviation disasters. The average age of a third of Kazakhstan's small aircraft is more than 30 years. Over the past few years, 14 air accidents have occurred in the Republic of Kazakhstan, 11 of them with small aircraft. In this work, we investigate long-term data on cloudiness and visibility at the most weather-favorable airfield in Balkhash, for the possibility of safe and economical flights of small aircraft and planning training flights.


2021 ◽  
Vol 100 (10) ◽  
pp. 1115-1122
Author(s):  
Nina V. Zaitseva ◽  
Tatyana S. Ulanova ◽  
Oleg V. Dolgikh ◽  
Tatyana V. Nurislamova ◽  
Olga A. Kazakova ◽  
...  

Introduction. Nowadays there is very relevant research on the study of the characteristics of the impact on the health of workers of low levels of harmful factors (acrylonitrile) of production during long-term exposure. Aim of the study was to examine peculiarities of immunologic and genetic indices in workers under the long-term exposure to acrylonitrile in low doses. Materials and methods. Our research object was working area air (MPCw.ar.=0.5 mg/m3) and biological media (blood and exhaled air) of workers employed at industrial rubber manufacture. Acrylonitrile was determined via a non-invasive procedure in exhaled air with samples being concentrated on sorption tubes that were then analyzed with capillary gas chromatography. Blood samples were examined to determine contents of malonic dialdehyde, lymphocytes (absolute and relative activated T-lymphocytes CD3+CD25+, absolute and relative activated T-lymphocytes CD3+CD95+), cytokines (VEGF), oncomarkers (PSA), and adrenals hormones; to do that, we applied ELISA tests and flow cytometry. Results. Acrylonitrile was established to occur in working area air in concentrations varying within MPCw.ar. range (0.007-0.015 mg/m3) being 2-3 times higher than in air inside offices at the same enterprise. We obtained statistically significant linear dependence between concentrations of acrylonitrile in the air exhaled by workers (y) and their working experience (x) that was given with the following equation: y=0.00046+0.00027x. According to the results of the laboratory examination of the workers, violations of the antioxidant defense were established. Contents of malonic dialdehyde and steroid hormones including progesterone, estradiol, and hydrocortisone that were pathogenetically linked to each other were authentically up to 3.2 times higher in the test group than in the reference one (p<0.05). Risk for antioxidant protection disorders such as elevated malonic dialdehyde contents in blood plasma might occur in the test group was 1.58 times higher than in the reference one. Conclusion. We revealed certain peculiarities in polymorphism of PPARGC1A Gly482Ser rs8192678 gene, the variability of which contributes to the formation of pathology of the cardiovascular, endocrine systems, oncoproliferative states that increase the likelihood of these undesirable events.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Noronha ◽  
Jieqi Guan ◽  
Sandy Hou In Sio

Purpose While the COVID-19 virus has been spreading worldwide, some studies have related the pandemic with various aspects of accounting and therefore emphasized the importance of accounting research in understanding the impact of COVID-19 on society as a whole. Recent studies have looked into such an impact on various industries such as retail and agriculture. The current study aims at applying a sociological framework, sociology of worth (SOW), to the gaming industry in Macau, the largest operator of state-allowed gambling and entertainment in China, which will allow for its development during the COVID-19 pandemic to be charted. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the theory of SOW as a framework and collects data from various sources, such as the government, gaming operators and the public, to create timelines and SOW frameworks to analyze the impact of the virus on the gaming industry and the society as a whole. Findings Detailed content analysis and the creation of different SOW matrices determined that the notion of a “lonely economy” during a time of a critical event may be ameliorated in the long term through compromises of the different worlds and actors of the SOW. Practical implications Though largely theory-based, this study offers a thorough account of the COVID-19 incident for both the government and the gaming industry to reflect on and to consider new ways to fight against degrowth caused by disasters or crises. Social implications The SOW framework divides society into different worlds of different worths. The current study shows how the worths of the different worlds are congruent during normal periods, and how cracks appear between them when a sudden crisis, such as COVID-19, occurs. The article serves as a social account of how these cracks are formed and how could they be resolved through compromise and reconstruction. Originality/value This study is a first attempt to apply SOW to a controversial industry (gaming) while the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are ongoing. It offers a significant contribution to the social accounting literature through its consideration of the combination of unprecedented factors in a well-timed study that pays close attention to analyses and theoretical elaboration.


Author(s):  
Peter A. Gell ◽  
Marie-Elodie Perga ◽  
C. Max Finlayson

Freshwater systems are continuously shaped by cyclical and directional forces of change, whether they be natural or anthropogenic. Beyond gradual transitions disturbances can reset their internal dynamics generating an abrupt ecological shift. Long-term data sets of gradual or abrupt change can be accessed by exhuming the physical, chemical, and biological remains archived in the sediment layers within lakes and wetlands. Long-term monitoring programmes offer more detailed evidence, usually over shorter time frames. In combination these records attest to the response of wetlands to climate and the impact of industrialised people. Humans have modified lake ecosystems for millennia and the condition of many wetland ecosystems have changed such that they are now regarded as novel. Long-term records provide targets for wetland restoration and can identify the main drivers of degradation. Identification of the character of modern Ramsar wetlands may be enhanced by reference to records of past state.


2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danell J. Haines ◽  
Tyler Fortman

To show the need for continued financial support, align with universities' missions of student learning, and improve the lives of participants, college recreational sport (CRS) professionals must demonstrate that CRS programs, facilities, and services cause growth in student learning. This study measured sport club out-of-classroom learning in an effort to begin measuring the impact of all CRS areas on student learning. It was hypothesized that sport club participants make gains in life skills, diversity, social interactions, communication, character, leadership, and self-beliefs as a result of their participation. A proxy-pretest posttest design administered to sport club participants measured this hypothesis. Significance testing showed significant differences between participants' ratings of their skills and abilities before and after participation. The implications of these findings for the justification and expansion of CRS funding, the future measurement of learning outcomes in CRS, and the alignment of CRS with the missions of higher education are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Jackson ◽  
Gill Valentine

This article focuses on acts of resistance regarding reproductive politics in contemporary Britain. Drawing on empirical research this article investigates grassroots activism around a complex moral, social, and political problem. This article therefore focuses on a site of resistance in everyday urban environments, investigating the practice and performance involved. Identifying specifically the territory(ies) and territorialities of these specific sites of resistance, this article looks at how opposing groups negotiate conflict in public space in territorial, as well as habitual, ways. Second, the article focuses on questions around the impact, distinction, and novelty both in the immediate and long term of these acts of resistance for those in public space. Here, then, the focus shifts to the reactions to this particular form of protest and questions the “acceptability” of specific resistances in the public imaginary.


1985 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Newton

Most commentators on the 1949 sterling crisis have viewed it as an episode with implications merely for the management of the British economy. This paper, based on the public records now available, discusses the impact of the crisis on British economic foreign policy. In particular it suggests that the crisis revealed deep Anglo-American differences, centring on the nature of the Marshall Plan, on the international value of the sterling area, and on the proper relationship between the United Kingdom and Western Europe, Ultimately the British succeeded in resolving these disagreements: but this triumph ironically implied both the defeat of British aims in post-war European reconstruction and a long term delusion that great power status could be maintained on the basis of a special relationship-with the United States.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-227
Author(s):  
Kwabena Frimpong

Purpose – This article aims to focus on the impact of the current austerity measures on UK public sector anti-fraud and financial crime investigative resource capacity building initiative developed over the years to tackle fraud against the public purse. Design/methodology/approach – The article draws on secondary sources of data and available literature on fraud and financial crime. Findings – Fraud is a challenge in the UK public sector but the cut-back on anti-fraud and financial crime investigative resources, given the scale of public sector fraud, the growing emphasis on accountability and the time of austerity with public money more exposed to fraud is arguably a back-door/u-turn policy on zero-tolerance approach in tackling public sector fraud and financial crime. There is the potential of this encouraging more fraud and financial crime against the public sector in the long term if measures are not taken to devise strategies for enhancing anti-fraud and financial crime investigative resource capacity. Research limitations/implications – The research implication for this article is that it opens an avenue for future studies to examine post austerity strategies for strengthening public sector anti-fraud and financial crime investigative resource strategies to deal with emerging fraud threats to UK public sector. Practical implications – This article acts as a reference guide for policymakers to reflect on the long-term adverse impact of the austerity on anti-fraud and financial crime investigative resource capacity and capability in tackling fraud public sector fraud. Originality/value – The paper attempts to present an alternative lens to examining the scale of UK public sector fraud problem rather than relying on headline story of declining fraud in UK.


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