Thesis (M.A.)--Universisty of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves : [78]-79).

This dissertation analyzes the travel writings of Isabella Bird Bishop, Mary Kingsley, Florence Douglas Dixie, and Isabel Savory. While away from England, these women writers participated in cultural exchanges which led to reevaluations of British womanhood. British women travel writers operated not only within the power structures of gender but also within the structures of empire, class, and race. Women travel writers blazed the trail for the New Woman of the end of the century. Before cycling and cigarette smoking were allowed, daring women such as Isabella Bird Bishop and Mary Kingsley crisscrossed the globe in defiance of patriarchal tradition and in search of their own pleasure --- later both hallmarks of the New Woman. Contrary to conservative hopes, women travel writers increased in popularity, inspired young women to be daring and challenged the Victorian status quo by writing of the dangerous pleasures they experienced while abroad. As inspiration for the New Women, women travel writers reveled in danger and athletics, and in time, reshaped England's image of womanhood. Because of the positive accounts of athleticism provided by women travelers, female health became a prominent topic in society. By the early twentieth century, women had increased access and acceptability to physical pursuits.

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4 pp. / Commercially available sonic pest devices for use in residential applications have not been shown to be effective in scientific studies. For this reason, use of these devices is not advised to treat common pest problems. Although some researchers are developing sonic techniques that illustrate promise for very specific pests, these technologies are yet to be commercially available. As our understanding increases of how pest species receive and process sound, more relevant sonic devices may be developed. The allure of sound as a treatment for pests will remain into the future—motivated by the fact that if they are successful they will be more environmentally friendly and safer for humans.

Utifrån temat Hållbart Samhälle och aspekten Socialt Hållbart Samhälle, är denna uppsats en berättelse om ett examensarbete som tagit sig an leken i förhållande till funktionsnedsättningen autism hos barn och där frukten av examensarbetet blivit en leksaksprodukt. Med hjärta, hjärna och engagemang har jag undersökt utifrån mina användare hur jag kan skapa en artefakt med potential att ge mina användare förutsättningar som de behöver för att leka, samspela och kommunicera. Men även andra barns behov i lek, samspel och kommunikation har varit viktiga att tillgodose då målet har varit att möjliggöra det sociala samspelet mellan båda dessa parter. Med andra barn menas barn oavsett funktionsnedsättning eller ej. Målet har därmed även varit att formge en leksaksprodukt som möter dessa två parters behov, såväl till form som funktion. Visuellt ska leksaksprodukten inte ge något uttryck av hjälpmedel, utan ska snarare vara en leksak som dolt kan tillgodose behoven hos barn med autism. Examensarbetet har även varit en möjlighet för mig som designstudent att få lära mig om hur företag arbetar med design för barn, vilket har lett mig till företaget BRIO AB som givit sina erfarenheter samt åsikter till leksaksprodukten. Leksaksprodukten har även på så sätt haft utgångspunkten i vad jag som designer tror skulle kunna passa in i BRIOs sortiment av leksaker. Som designer har jag ambitionen att arbeta med lekfull och hållbar design för barn. Barn med autism var ett steg för mig att ge mitt område större komplexitet för att ge mig en möjlighet att utvecklas. / Kiwi Bird Box - Leksaker för alla

This thesis describes aspects of the ecology of West Nile virus (WNV) including factors contributing to the distribution of WNV, possible future distribution, and effects of WNV on host abundance in the Canadian prairies provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Using mosquito surveillance data collected between 2005 and 2008, models integrating abiotic and biotic factors were constructed to predict the weekly and monthly scales of WNV infection rate in Culex tarsalis, which is the primary vector of WNV in the Canadian prairies. At the weekly scale, the WNV infection rate in Cx. tarsalis increased with increasing Cx. tarsalis abundance and mean temperature lagged from 1 to 8 weeks, but decreased with an increasing mean precipitation lagged from 2 to 6 weeks. Furthermore, precipitation was a ‘distorter variable’ which altered the association between Cx. tarsalis abundance and the WNV infection rate. Study at the monthly scale showed that higher mean temperature and time lagged mean temperature elevated were associated with increased numbers of Cx. tarsalis and higher WNV infection rates. However, increasing precipitation was associated with higher abundance of Cx. tarsalis and lower WNV infection rate. In addition, this study found that increased temperature fluctuation and wetland land cover were associated with decreased WNV infection rate in Cx. tarsalis. Climate change could drive dramatic alterations in the spatial and temporal distribution and overall incidence of vector-borne diseases. The constructed models and biological thresholds were used to predict the distribution of Cx. tarsalis and WNV infection rate in the prairie provinces under a range of potential future climate and habitat conditions. In the current endemic regions, the projected WNV infection rate under the median outcome scenario in 2050 was 18 times higher than under current climate conditions. Seasonal occurence of Cx. tarsalis infected with WNV extended from June to August to include May and September. Moreover, models predicted northward range expansion for Cx. tarsalis and WNV. The declines of susceptible bird abundance caused by WNV may further influence the bird community composition and, in turn, affect the incidence of WNV through a dilution effect. The North American Breeding Bird Survey data was used to evaluate the effect of WNV on the abundance of selected birds in the Canadian prairies, as well as the effects of bird community composition on the WNV risk. There was no significant decline in bird abundances of selected birds following the emergence of WNV. These findings suggest that the effect of WNV on selected bird abundance and bird community composition is insignificant. In addition, there is no evidence to support the association between bird community composition and WNV infection rate in Cx.tarsalis in the Canadian prairies. Lastly, findings in this thesis and current knowledge were integrated to create a decision making flowchart for the prevention of WNV infection in the prairie provinces.

There has been a recent paradigm shift in the study of animal communication from examining interactions as dyads to considering interactions as occurring in a communication network. The dawn chorus of songbirds, a striking acoustic phenomenon, provides an ideal opportunity to study network communication because multiple singers are within range of each other, permitting eavesdropping by both males and females. I used a 16-microphone Acoustic Location System (ALS) to simultaneously record and analyse the dawn chorus in a population of black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) breeding in eastern Ontario. Males frequency-match neighbours 24% of the time at dawn, more often than expected by chance or during daytime singing interactions. The amount of matching between males from different over-wintering flocks is significantly greater than between flockmates. Males of the same winter dominance rank match significantly more than do males of disparate ranks. Male black-capped chickadees are interacting vocally with neighbours at dawn, using the dawn chorus to mediate social relationships in ways that suggest useful information is available to the network of male and female receivers. Matching levels are not related to distance between opponents. However, males with non-fertile mates move over larger areas while chorusing and are further from their nest than males with fertile mates, suggesting dawn mate guarding. Males with non-fertile mates spend more of their chorus near boundaries with fertile neighbours than non-fertile neighbours possibly positioning themselves to facilitate eavesdropping by fertile females. Male chickadees of high and low winter social rank do not differ in either the size of their communication network, or the way they use their songs when interacting with neighbours. Males match multiple neighbours both sequentially and simultaneously. Simultaneous matching is most often the result of a former flockmate joining an interaction between two males who had been in different winter flocks. High-ranked males join the interactions of their lower-ranked flockmates, preferentially when those males are matching other high-ranked males. The dawn chorus is an interactive communication network in which all males participate and is characterized by interactions between multiple senders and receivers with males eavesdropping on interactions in which they are not involved. / Thesis (Ph.D, Biology) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-17 15:07:56.276

Abstract The goal with this study was to investigate the possibility for bird watching tourism in the northernmost national park in Sweden, Vadvetjåkka and to enhance the knowledge of bird species that occur in the area.  To find out which and how many species of birds that nest in Vadvetjåkka a field study in form of bird inventories and spontaneous bird watching was done in the period 1-12 / 7 2014. Line tax was chosen as a method of bird inventory. Together 43 species of birds and 248 individuals of birds were observed. The three most common bird species along the line transects were: brambling (Fringilla montifringilla), willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) and meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis). During the spontaneous bird observations 20 bird species and 65 individuals were found and the three most common species there was: redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) and hawk owl (Surnia ulula). International studies on bird tourism indicate that bird watching is a very popular nature activity. In Sweden there is no research on bird tourism, but there is a variety of nature companies that engaged in birdwatching tourism in combination with other nature activities. There are attractive and rare species found in Vadvetjåkka national park, so the potential is there to attract birdwatchers. To promote nature tourism in Vadvetjåkka national park the Swedish government has decided to make it easier for nature companies to engage in commercial activities in Vadvetjåkka. If eco-tourism companies and nature conservation authorities work together to minimize the potential negative influence of tourism on birds and nature bird tourism can contribute to a positive development in the area.

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