Nest success, feeding behavior and anti-predator strategies, were studied to determine if bellbirds (Anthornis melanura) are limited by predation and if pest control can relieve the pressures of predation so that food supply may become a limiting factor for bellbirds. The nest success of bellbirds at the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project (RNRP), Nelson Lakes, New Zealand (2002-2004 breeding seasons) was compared with data from other bellbird nest success studies in New Zealand. Two years of nest monitoring resulted in a low overall nest success at the RNRP (39 %), an area low in predator density, compared with 16.4 - 67.2 % found for other sites. One-way anova comparisons between the nest success of bellbirds in areas grouped by predator density (absent, low and high) were not significantly different. Regression analyses of nest success versus predator density (stoat or rat tracking indicies) were also not significant. A test of change in bellbird numbers (numbers in February/numbers in November in the same breeding season) versus rat density (tracking index in November) showed no significant trend at the RNRP. A test of density dependence (change in bellbird numbers versus numbers in November) was also not significant. The percent of time bellbirds spent feeding was significantly higher at the RNRP compared to Mt. Misery (Nelson Lakes, New Zealand) during the breeding season only (RNRP = 34 % and Mt. Misery = 23 %). The percent of time bellbirds spent foraging for food was also significantly higher at the RNRP compared to Mt. Misery during the breeding seasons (RNRP = 47 % and Mt. Misery = 36 %). This suggests that predator control at the RNRP has allowed bellbird numbers to increase so that nesting success may be partly limited by food supply during the breeding season. However, despite higher densities of bellbird and other bird species at the RNRP, there was no difference in the percent of time spent feeding (RNRP = 36.7 % and Mt. Misery = 36.3 %) or foraging (RNRP = 49 % and Mt. Misery = 51 %) between the RNRP and Mt. Misery during winter months The nest height of bellbirds was not significantly related to the nest outcome (excluding nests that failed due to non-predation causes) at either the RNRP or Kowhai Bush. Nest predation occurred at a range of heights, which suggests introduced predators are not specialists at any nest height. Bellbirds at the RNRP 111 visited their nests more frequently and stayed for shorter periods at the nest compared with bellbirds at the Cheeseman Valley, consistent with the hypothesis bellbirds alter their behavior to avoid disclosing their nest position. The results of this study, although not significant, do indicate that bellbird nest success is limited by high densities of predators. One-way anova analysis on nest success during the feeding stage was nearly significant (P = 0.096). Regression analysis trend lines show an increased negative effect on nest success at higher predator densities. Few replicates and large variation in nesting success within treatments affect the power of the results. Bellbirds may persist in areas with high predator densities due to anti-predator strategies when visiting their nests. With pest control, ecosystem interactions may be revitalized so that limiting factors other than predation become important for bellbird nest success.

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A survey in 1994 recorded nearly 14,000 pairs of Larus gulls of four species nesting on buildings in Britain and Ireland. The majority of these records involved Herring Gulls, although large numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls were also observed. Since the last such survey in 1976, Lesser Black-backed Gulls had shown the highest rate of increase. Despite the sharp decline in the numbers of Herring Gulls breeding in Britain and Ireland since the mid-1970s, numbers nesting on roofs had continued increasing, albeit at a lower rate than before. New developments since 1976 included increasing numbers nesting inland and on the roofs of large industrial buildings. The study of a colony of Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls nesting on one such industrial building showed that the breeding success of these birds, although lower than that found for roof-nesting birds at more dispersed colonies, was higher than that at many traditional colonies. Low nest density, shelter for chicks and safety from predators were thought to be important contributors to this success. In addition, die colony was situated very close to the sources of food, agricultural land and urban areas, found to be most important in die diet of Herring Gulls nesting there. A review of dietary studies of roof-nesting Herring Gulls found that, despite the location of such colonies in urban areas, urban sites were not always an important source of food. The reduction in availability of one urban source of food, untreated sewage, was found to have little effect upon the gulls using an urban stretch of river. In particular, neither of the species causing most problems in urban areas, the Herring Gull and Lesser Black- backed Gull, decreased in number; in fact, numbers of these species nesting on buildings in the area increased considerably.

Nesting problems have been present for as long as mankind exists. Present days these problems occur in many different industries, e.g. textile, paper, wood, metal and glass industry. These industries produce massive amounts of products to answer the global demand. To minimize the material waste making these products, a good cutting and packing layout is beneficial. The last three decades, researchers have focused on developing methods to solve these problems through computing, instead of solving them manually. Many possible solutions have been found, each method focusing on the specifications of the problem. This thesis had two sub-objectives. The first one was to find the best method for nesting optimization, by doing an intensive literature study. The second sub-objective was to work with a previous made program that is capable of doing optimization tests, containing a nesting optimization method, and try to improve this method to get better results, using the literature study. At a certain point in this project, based on the progress of the literature study and knowledge acquired on the in-house developed program, a decision had to be made either to continue with the previous developed method or to try a new method. A lot of ideas from the literature where used and implemented to improve the method leading to improving results. Hence, the choice was made to continue working with the previous developed method. A new placement strategy was introduced in the program. Additional program code to improve stencil evaluation was added. A proper user interface was created. At the end of this project, a nesting optimization method was obtained, capable of producing a feasible solution when solving a nesting problem, within a reasonable amount of time.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xii, 127 p. : ill., map (part col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Gypsies or Roma are one of the minorities frequently represented in film, whenever we talk about European or American film; within this context Russian and Eastern European cinema seems to offer the richest palette of portrayals, as in this region Roma represent an important and controversial minority. Film scholars agreed that from the moment when Roma appeared on screen and until the last decades when a shift toward a more realistic approach can be detected, their filmic representations were predominantly stereotypic and highly exoticized. Films from the last decades show more interest in the depiction of poverty, discrimination and marginalization, but stereotypical representation is still present and dominant. The purpose of this paper is to focus on several stereotypes generally perceived as negative stereotypes (theft, drunkenness, vulgar language, falseness, etc.) and to demonstrate that in relation to Gypsy representations on screen, these stereotypes change their function, trying to inculcate upon the viewer sympathetic feelings and accentuating the gap between the Roma cinematic image and the dominant ideology about them in the societies where they live. This thesis will examine negative stereotypes and their function in some of the most representative films of the Gypsy cinema: Skupljaci perja / I Even Met Happy Gypsies (Petrović 1967), Tabor ukhodit v Nebo/ Gypsy Camp Goes to Heaven or Queen of the Gypsies (Loteanu 1976), Ko to tamo peva? / Who’s Singin’ Over There? (Sijan 1980), Dom za vesanje / Time of the Gypsies Gypsies (Kusturica 1988), Gadjo Dillo / The Crazy Stranger (Gatlif 1997), Dallas Pashamende / Dallas among Us (Pejo 2005), and Baklava (Petrov 2007). Special attention will be paid to the relationship between the subjects of representation (Roma), their authors (the directors), and their consumers (the viewers). / text

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Nest success, feeding behavior and anti-predator strategies, were studied to determine if bellbirds (Anthornis melanura) are limited by predation and if pest control can relieve the pressures of predation so that food supply may become a limiting factor for bellbirds. The nest success of bellbirds at the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project (RNRP), Nelson Lakes, New Zealand (2002-2004 breeding seasons) was compared with data from other bellbird nest success studies in New Zealand. Two years of nest monitoring resulted in a low overall nest success at the RNRP (39 %), an area low in predator density, compared with 16.4 - 67.2 % found for other sites. One-way anova comparisons between the nest success of bellbirds in areas grouped by predator density (absent, low and high) were not significantly different. Regression analyses of nest success versus predator density (stoat or rat tracking indicies) were also not significant. A test of change in bellbird numbers (numbers in February/numbers in November in the same breeding season) versus rat density (tracking index in November) showed no significant trend at the RNRP. A test of density dependence (change in bellbird numbers versus numbers in November) was also not significant. The percent of time bellbirds spent feeding was significantly higher at the RNRP compared to Mt. Misery (Nelson Lakes, New Zealand) during the breeding season only (RNRP = 34 % and Mt. Misery = 23 %). The percent of time bellbirds spent foraging for food was also significantly higher at the RNRP compared to Mt. Misery during the breeding seasons (RNRP = 47 % and Mt. Misery = 36 %). This suggests that predator control at the RNRP has allowed bellbird numbers to increase so that nesting success may be partly limited by food supply during the breeding season. However, despite higher densities of bellbird and other bird species at the RNRP, there was no difference in the percent of time spent feeding (RNRP = 36.7 % and Mt. Misery = 36.3 %) or foraging (RNRP = 49 % and Mt. Misery = 51 %) between the RNRP and Mt. Misery during winter months The nest height of bellbirds was not significantly related to the nest outcome (excluding nests that failed due to non-predation causes) at either the RNRP or Kowhai Bush. Nest predation occurred at a range of heights, which suggests introduced predators are not specialists at any nest height. Bellbirds at the RNRP 111 visited their nests more frequently and stayed for shorter periods at the nest compared with bellbirds at the Cheeseman Valley, consistent with the hypothesis bellbirds alter their behavior to avoid disclosing their nest position. The results of this study, although not significant, do indicate that bellbird nest success is limited by high densities of predators. One-way anova analysis on nest success during the feeding stage was nearly significant (P = 0.096). Regression analysis trend lines show an increased negative effect on nest success at higher predator densities. Few replicates and large variation in nesting success within treatments affect the power of the results. Bellbirds may persist in areas with high predator densities due to anti-predator strategies when visiting their nests. With pest control, ecosystem interactions may be revitalized so that limiting factors other than predation become important for bellbird nest success.