As Tsìnlhqút’ín one’s connectedness comes through the ancient stories, influencing one’s interactions with others in the community, respect for ancestors, and sustainable interaction with environment. The most powerful of these stories is the “the Bear Who Married a Woman” and the concept of nímính is central to its theme. Told by one Tsìnlhqút’ín elder, the story is full of the richness of ancient words, terms from the bear’s language, and vivid illustrations of ancient ways. This period, set out originally by mammals and fish to ensure that people continue to prosper and maintain respect for all life forms, is preserved in the term súwh-t@’éghèdúdính. This documentation sets out to partially shed light on the Tsìnlhqút’ín concept of an energy called nímính which manifests within individuals at the onset of a life transition (namely at birth, puberty, and death) lingering for varying durations from one week to an entire lifetime, and influencing subsistence items, places, and vegetation. Maintaining balance amidst a web of other lifeforms is an ancient lifeway which now seems a complex undertaking.

Time series of brightness temperature (TB) measurement obtained at various frequencies by the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer–Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) are investigated to determine ice phenology parameters and ice thickness on Great Bear Lake (GBL) and Great Slave Lake (GSL), Northwest Territories, Canada. TB measurements from the 6.9, 10.7, 18.7, 23.8, 36.5, and 89.0 GHz channels (H- and V- polarization) are compared to assess their potential for detecting freeze-onset (FO)/melt-onset (MO), ice-on/ice-off dates, and ice thickness on both lakes. The sensitivity of TB measurements at 6.9, 10.7, and 18.7 GHz to ice thickness is also examined using a previously validated thermodynamic lake ice model and the most recent version of the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT) model, which accounts for the presence of a lake-ice layer under snow. This study shows that 18.7 GHz H-pol is the most suitable AMSR-E channel for detecting ice phenology events, while 18.7 GHz V-pol is preferred for estimating lake ice thickness on the two large northern lakes. These two channels therefore form the basis of new ice cover retrieval algorithms. The algorithms were applied to map monthly ice thickness products and all ice phenology parameters on GBL and GSL over seven ice seasons (2002-2009). Through application of the algorithms much was learned about the spatio-temporal dynamics of ice formation, decay and growth rate/thickness on the two lakes. Key results reveal that: 1) both FO and ice-on dates occur on average 10 days earlier on GBL than on GSL; 2) the freeze-up process or freeze duration (FO to ice-on) takes a comparable amount of time on both lakes (two to three weeks); 3) MO and ice-off dates occur on average one week and approximately four weeks later, respectively, on GBL; 4) the break-up process or melt duration (MO to ice-off) lasts for an equivalent period of time on both lakes (six to eight weeks); 5) ice cover duration is about three to four weeks longer on GBL compared to its more southern counterpart (GSL); and 6) end-of-winter ice thickness (April) on GBL tends to be on average 5-15 cm thicker than on GSL, but with both spatial variations across lakes and differences between years.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2008. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 332-354).

As Tsìnlhqút’ín one’s connectedness comes through the ancient stories, influencing one’s interactions with others in the community, respect for ancestors, and sustainable interaction with environment. The most powerful of these stories is the “the Bear Who Married a Woman” and the concept of nímính is central to its theme. Told by one Tsìnlhqút’ín elder, the story is full of the richness of ancient words, terms from the bear’s language, and vivid illustrations of ancient ways. This period, set out originally by mammals and fish to ensure that people continue to prosper and maintain respect for all life forms, is preserved in the term súwh-t@’éghèdúdính. This documentation sets out to partially shed light on the Tsìnlhqút’ín concept of an energy called nímính which manifests within individuals at the onset of a life transition (namely at birth, puberty, and death) lingering for varying durations from one week to an entire lifetime, and influencing subsistence items, places, and vegetation. Maintaining balance amidst a web of other lifeforms is an ancient lifeway which now seems a complex undertaking.

La conservation des populations animales autour desquelles existe une controverse passe entre autres par une compréhension de l’écologie de l’espèce, mais également par une analyse des attitudes humaines vis-à-vis de sa présence. Cependant, ces deux aspects sont rarement mobilisés ensemble au sein de travaux combinant sciences de l’environnement et sociologie. Nous proposons ici une étude portant sur la population d’ours brun (Ursus arctos) résidant dans les Pyrénées, intégrant à la fois dynamique de la population et de sa distribution, et une analyse de l’attitude des Pyrénéens vis-à-vis des plantigrades. Nous conduisons également une réflexion sur les méthodes à employer afin d’intégrer ces résultats au sein d’une approche socio-écologique. Nos modèles écologiques, qui utilisent des données de suivi obtenues dans le cadre d’un partenariat transfrontalier entre France, Andorre et Espagne, mettent en évidence une augmentation des effectifs et une réduction de la distribution de la population entre 2008 et 2014. Si ces conclusions ne semblent pas aller dans le sens d’une dégradation rapide de leur état de conservation, les ours pyrénéens restent menacés du fait de leurs faibles effectifs et du fort taux de consanguinité au sein de la population. Notre enquête sociologique, réalisée dans les communes sur lesquelles l’ours est ou a été présent entre 2008 et 2013, a mis en évidence une hétérogénéité spatiale dans l’attitude des habitants des Pyrénées sur la question de l’ours, avec notamment des variations significatives en fonction de leurs lieux de naissance et de résidence. Nous discutons ensuite d’une approche intégrant résultats de sociologie et d’écologie avec le but de créer un modèle pouvant servir d’outil à un responsable chargé de la gestion ou de la résolution du conflit, en analysant les méthodes à notre disposition, leurs avantages et leurs limites. Nous concluons sur l’intérêt des approches pluridisciplinaire dans la gestion des controverses autour de la conservation de populations animales. / The conservation of controversial animal populations requires an understanding of the species’ ecology, but also an analysis of the human attitudes towards its presence. However, those two aspects are rarely studied together through a combination of environmental sciences and sociology. Here we study the brown bear (Ursus arctos) population residing in the Pyrenees mountains, analyzing both population dynamics and distribution, and the attitudes of Pyrenean people towards the species. We also ponder on the methods to use to combine these results in a socio-ecological approach. Our ecological models, which use monitoring data obtained through a crossborder partnership between France, Andorra and Spain, highlight an increase of population size and a reduction of its distribution between 2008 and 2014. If those conclusions do not seem to indicate a quick degradation of their conservation status, Pyrenean brown bears remain threatened by low numbers and high inbreeding in the population. A sociological study was performed in the municipalities where bear was or had been present between 2008 and 2013. We found spatial heterogeneity in the attitudes of Pyrenean people regarding bears, with significant variations depending on where they were born and where they currently live. We follow by discussing an approach that combines sociological and ecological results, with the goal of building a model that can be used as a tool for someone responsible for managing or solving the conflict; to do this, we analyze the methods available, their strengths and limits. We conclude on the importance of interdisciplinary approaches when managing controversies over wildlife conservation.

O Urso-de-óculos (Tremarctos ornatus), único urso endêmico da América do Sul, é uma espécie severamente ameaçada devido à perda do seu hábitat e à caça. É importante do ponto de vista da conservação pela função que cumpre no ecossistema onde habita e pela sua relação com a cultura Andina. Por estas razões, torna-se necessária a aplicação de alternativas de conservação a espécie. Uma ferramenta alternativa de conservação é a reprodução assistida, porém, existe pouco conhecimento da reprodução desta espécie. A pouca informação sobre os padrões reprodutivos diminui a possibilidade de se estabelecer programas de reprodução bem sucedidos e torna-se mais difícil a criação de planos de conservação. O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar o ciclo ovariano na fêmea do Urso-de-óculos. Para tanto foi realizada a monitoração endócrina por meio da extração e dosagem de metabólitos fecais dos esteróides sexuais: estradiol e progesterona. O estudo foi realizado com amostras colhidas de seis fêmeas de T. ornatus mantidas em cativeiro em dois zoológicos da cidade de Lima, Peru, pelo período de treze meses, desde Fevereiro de 2010 até Abril de 2011. As extrações dos metabólitos fecais foram feitas no Laboratorio de Reproducción Animal, FMVUNMSM, em Lima, Peru; e foram quantificados por enzimaimunoensaio (EIE), no Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien-Áustria. Os resultados indicam que é possível descrever e monitorar a endocrinologia do ciclo ovariano em T. ornatus de forma não-invasiva através do uso de metabólitos fecais de esteroides sexuais; demonstrando que o Urso-de-óculos em cativeiro é uma espécie que conta com uma reprodução não sazonal, com fase folicular e lútea durando em média 08 e 22 dias, respectivamente. Nestas condições, apresenta em média, de três a quatro fases de atividade ovarianas por ano. Os resultados encontrados ajudarão a compreender o ciclo ovariano nos Ursos-de-óculos e facilitar o desenvolvimento de programas de reprodução assistida na espécie. / Spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the only bear species that inhabits South America. It is an endangered species due to habitat loss and hunting. For the conservation point of view it is an important species for the ecosystem maintenance and also for their relationship with the Andean culture. For these reasons it is necessary to apply conservation alternatives for this species. Assisted reproduction is an alternative conservation tool; however, there is a lack of knowledge of the Spectacled bear reproduction. Little information about the reproductive parameters diminishes the possibility to establish a successful breeding program and make difficult the implementation of conservation plans for the species. The aim of this study was to characterize the ovarian cycle in the female Spectacled bear with noninvasive techniques for monitoring fecal metabolites of reproductive hormones (estradiol and progesterone). The study was carried out with samples collected by a 13-month period (Feb/10 to April/11), from six captive females T. ornatus kept in two zoological institutions in Lima, Peru. The metabolites extraction was carried out at Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, FMV-UNMSM, in Lima-Peru, and the hormonal analysis was performed in the Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien-Austria. The results show us that it is possible to describe and realize a non-invasive monitoring of ovarian cycles in T. ornatus, with the use of fecal metabolites of sex steroids; and demonstrates that in captive conditions Spectacled bear is a non-seasonal reproduction species, with follicular and luteal phases lasting on average 8 and 22 days, respectively, whereas in captivity has on average three to four stages of ovarian activity per year. These results will help to understand the ovarian cycle in Spectacled Bear and facilitate the development of programs of assisted reproduction in the species.

No description available.

This research served to explore the client’s experiences of services in a clinic dealing with child sexual abuse and related issues. Addressing the issue of therapeutic interventions in clinics dealing with sexual abuse victims and their caregivers – looking at how the clients experience these treatments and services and how they have made ‘meaning’ of these on their journey to healing, is something that needs to be explored in greater depth. The aim therefore of this research is to gain insight into understanding the clients’ experiences of the therapeutic services. This study will be of specific importance due to the fact that to date no literature has been identified particularly from a South African perspective on how clients make meaning of these therapeutic services at such an agency, making it difficult to compare the findings. Much of the research identified has focused on the interventions in cases of sexual abuse and have thus typically been one-sided in approach, subsequently ignoring the voices of the child victims of sexual abuse and the non-offending caregivers. The client’s experience of the therapeutic interventions will be reviewed within the context of the Teddy Bear Clinic. An interpretive phenomenological approach was used to focus on the understanding of the participant’s subjective experiences and meanings of the therapeutic interventions. The research utilised a qualitative framework which privileged first-person descriptions as the primary sources of subjective meaning. Two case studies in an organisation in Johannesburg were investigated. The case studies comprised the child victim of abuse and the non-offending care-givers that participated with the child in the therapeutic process. Therefore two children and two caregivers were included in each case study. The recruitment of participants was, to a large extent, dependent on the assistance offered by the counsellors at the Teddy Bear Clinic. Therapeutic counsellors at the Teddy Bear Clinic identified a list of clients that had just terminated or were exiting the therapeutic process and not in need of further interventions, and fit the criteria as stipulated by the researcher. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews of each participant. The analysis was carried out using thematic analysis which revealed the meaning of their experiences. The following themes emerged through the analysis and were used to explore the client’s experience and assignment of meaning to the therapeutic services: (1) background influences. Various sub-themes emerged from this theme: (1a) shame, guilt and fear of punishment (1b) developmental stages, (1c) relationship with stepmother, (1d) legal issues, (1e) marital and parenting difficulties, (1f) outside support structures and (1g) previous relationship with counsellor. The second main theme included; (2) the voices of children and caregivers on the therapeutic experience. The various sub-themes that emerged from this were; (2a) the therapeutic relationship, (2b) the role of the therapist, (2c) being kept in the loop – feedback and introductions, (2d) clarification and support for the caregiver (2e) giving back – peer support groups, and (2f) teddy bears and the therapeutic process. Thus the main findings that emerged from this study involves ‘background influences’, that clients present to the medico-legal clinic for rape or sexual abuse. However, background influences have a profound effect on the therapeutic relationship and the experience of the clinic’s services, as seen in the interrelationships that are interwoven with the presenting problem. A second finding emerging from the voices of the children and caregivers foresee that services could be improved in the following ways. Providing feedback and clarification of the therapeutic process; receiving an introductory brochure which highlights what services the clinic provides and resources available to the clients. Caregiver and peer support groups was another very important element that the clients expressed as a necessary and vital part of the services and interventions that the clinic could offer the clients. Finally, a positive element to the therapeutic interventions which helped the children cope and eased the caregivers anxiety were found to be the handing out of teddy bears which is symbolic of the Teddy Bear Clinic and should continue to be a cornerstone of the therapeutic intervention and introduction to the clinic. The study, while achieving its goal of providing some understanding of how the clients experience these interventions at this medico-legal clinic, highlights the need for further exploration of how clients experience these services and interventions at other clinics dealing with sexual abuse, particularly from a South African perspective. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Psychology / unrestricted

Concerns over human-bear conflict and questions about the ecology of Paunsaugunt Plateau's population of black bears (Ursus americanus) arose due to their visitation to popular recreation sites. Greater insight about bears and their habitat use provides a foundation for conflict mitigation and effective management decisions. Between 2014 and 2017, seventeen black bears (11 female, 6 male) were fitted with global positioning system (GPS) radio-collars so that we could track their locations, daily activity patterns, and ambient temperatures. By analyzing bear locations, we calculated annual and seasonal home ranges for 16 bears, including 25 den sites. Home ranges typically consisted of three dominant vegetation types, Utah juniper, ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. I used mixed effects models to better understand den site selection and found that slope (27.87 ± 2.03) was the most significant factor (p < 0.001). I also used mixed effects models to understand black bear selection of annual and seasonal home ranges. Predictor variables with the greatest effect (p < 0.001) were elevation (2419.99 ± 1.35) and aspect (138.44 ± 0.64), with coefficients of 1.128 and -1.483 respectively. Male annual home ranges (327.20 km2 ± 133.58 km2) were significantly larger (p = 0.035) than female home ranges (175.10 km2 ± 55.37 km2). However, annual home ranges for both sexes were larger than those during hyperphagia (p = 0.003) or mating (p = 0.004) seasonal home ranges, between which there was no difference (p = 0.451). Individual home ranges overlapped for most bears, consistent with their non-territorial nature. I found that bears avoided roads and lower elevations, while showing a preference for sloping terrain throughout the non-denning period. Paunsaugunt black bear home ranges are larger than any other black bear home ranges reported in literature. We determined weekly average distances and directions for all bears. For two bears, one male and one female, we determined daily averages and directions. Nine bears provided daily averages for 12 seasonal units across all four years. Activity patterns indicate the typical crepuscular pattern noted in normal bear populations that lack human habituation. Identifying areas core use areas and potential den sites is helpful to understanding black bear ecology and useful when making decisions about how to plan infrastructure and educate the public. This research indicates that Paunsaugunt black bears avoid human activity; however, we need continued research to help determine specific interactions between bears and anthropomorphic influences.

De som arbetar där brunbjörnen (Ursus arctos L.) lever riskerar att påverkas genom olycksfall och ohälsa, vilket kan leda till ett arbetsmiljöproblem. Björnpopulationen har efter upp- och nedgångar ökat senaste årtiondena vilket har ökat incidenterna. Syftet med studien var att kartlägga hur anställda som arbetar ensam till fots i fält inom skogsnäringen påverkas av björnens närvaro i skogen och att utreda vad som skulle kunna göra skogen till en säkrare arbetsplats genom att motverka ohälsa och olycksfall kopplat till björnens närvaro. En litteraturstudie och en enkätstudie gjordes för att uppfylla syftet. Resultatet av enkätstudien blev tvetydigt eftersom respondenterna var positivt inställda till björn trots att majoriteten kände sig illa till mods på grund av den. En kollega ansågs vara en trygghet trots att väldigt få var emot ensamarbete. Av respondenterna hade majoriteten varit med om minst ett björnmöte. Som slutsats; utbilda, förekom och försvara.