Peregrines Falco peregrinus and Gyrfalcons F. rusticolus were studied in Low and High Arctic Greenland, comparing populations within and between areas. Analyses of weather data from northwest Greenland (1979–2005) revealed a general warming trend, resulting in a lengthened breeding window for many bird species. Both falcon species depend on cliffs for nesting, and take a similar range of bird species as prey. However, Gyrfalcons lay six weeks earlier than Peregrines in Kangerlussuaq and one month earlier than Peregrines in Thule, and occupy more sheltered nest-sites. Being larger than Peregrines, Gyrfalcons also take some larger prey species. In addition, both species move to lower latitudes for the winter, but while most Gyrfalcons migrate relatively short distances, Peregrines are complete long-distance migrants to Central and South America. One Peregrine, satellite-tracked from its breeding site at 76.5° N, travelled ~12,500 km and >100° in latitude, one of the longest migrations ever documented for a raptor. Around Thule in northwest Greenland (at 76.5° N), scientists had historically documented no breeding Peregrines, but six occupied sites were discovered during this study, comprising what is probably the most northern nesting population in the world. Over the same period, breeding Gyrfalcons have apparently disappeared from southern Greenland, and may have declined in central-west Greenland (67° N). The ultimate cause of this retraction may be climate warming, but the proximate cause is probably competition from an increasing Peregrine population. Gyrfalcons tagged with satellite-received transmitters showed characteristics associated with both obligate and facultative migration. Their winter ranges varied greatly in size, with the largest, ~172,000 km2, being the biggest ever documented for a raptor. Many individuals made long movements within a winter, and some spent up to a month at sea. They may have rested on ice and fed upon seabirds. Carbon dating of stratified faecal accumulation from Gyrfalcon nests in central-west and northwest Greenland showed use of sites for up to ~2,500 and ~650 years, respectively. The age of nest sites correlated significantly with the current distance to the Greenland Ice Sheet, and probably reflects colonization patterns following glacial retreat. In central-west Greenland the ratio of Peregrine to Gyrfalcon pairs changed from 1:1 in the early 1970s to nearly 14:1 in 2005. Over this period, competition for nest sites and prey is likely to have intensified. The crucial prey for Gyrfalcons when they start nesting in early spring are resident ptarmigan, whose numbers are probably depleted by Peregrines during the months they are present. If recent trends in climate change continue, Peregrines may continue to increase in Greenland, and spread north into areas previously occupied only by Gyrfalcons. At the same time, Gyrfalcons may retreat north from many currently-occupied areas.

<p>Recently, exploration to develop creative and technology-centered learning techniques have become popular. Researchers work on non-traditional tools to help students understand abstract concepts and reduce misconceptions in physics education. Studies have been performed to explore the influence computer simulations can make on learning as compared to the traditional methods. Simulations with dynamic moving images which engage visual senses have helped improve learning, while haptic channels are unexplored in comparison tactile senses are crucial in the case of embodied cognitive learning.</p><p><br></p><p>This thesis takes an opportunity to explore the research area of haptic technology combined with visual simulation. It tests the efficiency of the learning environment developed as a part of this thesis called the Visuo-Haptic Pulley Simulation (ViHaPS) in learning concepts of when compared to traditional learning tools. ViHaPS consists of six different scenarios and is designed to address common misconceptions of pulleys and has two different modes - minimal visual cues and added visual cues. Undergraduate students enrolled at Purdue University participated in this research. They were formed into two groups - an experimental group (ViHaPS) and control group (physical manipulatives) and were compared for learning gains.</p><p> </p><p><br></p><p>Results indicate that ViHaPS is useful in learning concepts of pulleys; however, the results are not significant in comparison to the real experimentation with pulleys.</p>

No description available.

Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon and Red Harvest are examples of iconic hard-boiled detective literature that reflect on the anxieties and tensions of the 1930s-1940s. With the Great Depression looming over these decades, the genre uses the hard-boiled detective as a way to communicate with and understand this time period. In our analysis of game theory, we look at how Dashiell Hammett's characters make decisions based on the actions of other players in the game, illustrating the influences of bargaining power and manipulation. With characters that oftentimes find themselves in situations where they must collude to reach maximum utility, the novels explore the various ways in which one player takes advantage of another, almost always leading towards the detective's best payoff. Game theory provides us with a unique method to looking at literature, hard-boiled fiction particularly, as a reflection of the historical period of its conception and prime.

Thesis (MPhil (Ancient Studies)--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / A particular motif in Egyptian art is that of avians. This is frequently depicted in a significant number and variety of visual sources from the tomb of Tutankhamun (KV 62) (1336-1327 BC) and other find contexts throughout Egyptian history from c. 3000 BC, but is little understood. The motif mostly depicts an avian creature with wings outstretched, talons grasping the Egyptian hieroglyph symbol for eternity (shen). In some instances the avian’s falcon or vulture body or parts of the body is/are replaced with parts of another creature, namely that of a snake, cobra, ram, human, duck, or a hieroglyph sign. A study was undertaken to assess how and why this avian motif was composed and what the function in Egyptian culture was. A manual search of published material for relevant visual sources depicting specific versions of the avian motif was undertaken and selected sources were indexed into a representative graphical database including one hundred and ninety-one items. Textual sources (academic literature and literature from ancient Egypt) were then consulted to support and/or expand on the iconographic, symbolic, and functional aspects of the motif: - At the iconographic level, the historical development and ‘structural dynamics’ of the motif are investigated to deduce the artistic rules that applied to its creation. - At the symbolic level, the symbolic meaning of the artwork is ascertained by theorizing on the meaning of the motif and its parts in an Egyptian context. - At the functional level, the function of the artwork is ascertained by investigating how the motif’s symbolism was intended to be applied to benefit the individual. The results of this research is that the avian motif developed over time according to strict artistic rules; that it symbolized the king, eternity and protection; and that its function was to protect the king in all phases of his existence in a political and mythological context in order to ensure that the he would attain an eternal life in the afterlife. In the mind of the ancient Egyptian this was achieved through the transference of the avian motif’s magical qualities to the user. The intended outcome of this study is to highlight the avian motif’s importance in the context of the ancient Egyptian culture.

Commercial pine plantations made up of exotic tree species are increasingly recognised as habitats that can contribute significantly to the conservation of indigenous biodiversity in New Zealand. Encouraging this biodiversity by employing sympathetic forestry management techniques not only offers benefits for indigenous flora and fauna but can also be economically advantageous for the forestry industry. The New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae) or Karearea, is a threatened species, endemic to the islands of New Zealand, that has recently been discovered breeding in pine plantations. This research determines the ecological requirements of New Zealand falcons in this habitat, enabling recommendations for sympathetic forestry management to be made. Plantation forests that create a mosaic of pine stand ages across a plantation, offer suitable habitat for breeding New Zealand falcons by providing abundant nest sites, promoting high abundances of avian prey and creating favourable conditions for hunting. The diet of falcons within pine forests consisted primarily of birds, of which the majority were exotic passerines. Prey abundances were highest along pine stand edges. Both sexes preferentially hunted along pine stand edges between stands less than four years old and stands more than 20 years old. Pairs also preferentially nested along these borders, particularly within and along the edges of pine stands less than two years old. Within pine stands, nest sites were always located on the ground. Introduced predators and some forestry operations negatively affected breeding success. Nevertheless, productivity was higher than recorded for other habitats and female falcons were recorded successfully breeding in their first year for the first time. High prey densities and availabilities are suggested as the primary explanation for this. The extent of juvenile dispersal strongly suggests that pine plantations supplement populations in surrounding areas where falcons are in decline. This research demonstrates that changes to the existing forestry operational practices can influence the success of the breeding population. This research establishes that if commercial pine plantations are suitably managed, they can support extremely high falcon densities. Plantation forests therefore have a significant role to play in the future conservation of this species.

This project describes various aspects of the breeding ecology and behaviour of the brown falcon Falco berigora, a common but poorly study Australian raptor. In particular it examines (a) the main influences on reproductive success; (b) tests predictions of theories proposed to explain the evolution and maintenance of sexual size dimorphism (RSD; females the larger sex) in raptors; and (c) investigates sex allocation patterns in the light of current sex ratio and parental investment theory. The study was conducted between July 1999 and June 2002 approximately 35 km southwest of Melbourne, at the Western Treatment Plant (WTP), Werribee (38°0’S 144°34’E) and surrounds, a total area of approximately 150 km2.¶ · In all plumage and bare part colouration of 160 free-flying falcons was described. The majority of variation in these characters could be attributed to distinct age and/or sex differences as opposed to previously described colour ‘morphs’.¶ · Nestling chronology and development is described and formulae based on wing length derived for determining nestling age. An accurate field-based test for determining nestling sex at banding age is also presented.¶ · Strong sex role differentiation was apparent during breeding; typical of falcons females performed most parental duties whilst males predominantly hunted for their brood and partner. Based on observations of marked individuals, both sexes of brown falcons aggressively defended mutual territories throughout the year, with just 10% of each sex changing territories during the entire study period. Males performed territorial displays more frequently than females, the latter rarely displaying alone.¶ · The diet of the population as a whole was very broad, but within pairs both sexes predominantly specialised on either lagomorphs, small ground prey (e.g. house mice Mus musculus), small birds, large birds or reptiles, according to availability.¶ · Reproductive parameters such as clutch size and the duration of parental care were constant across all years, however marked annual differences in brood size and the proportion of pairs breeding were evident.¶ · Age was an important influence upon reproductive success and survival, with immature birds inferior to adults in both areas. However, interannual differences were by far the most influential factor on breeding success and female survival. Heavy rain downpours were implicated as the main determinant of reproductive success and adult female mortality in a population largely devoid of predation or human interference.¶ · Female-female competition for territorial vacancies was intense; larger adult females were more likely to be recruited and once breeding fledged more offspring. In contrast, male recruitment and breeding success was unrelated to either body size or condition indices, although smaller immature males were more likely to survive to the next breeding season. This directional selection is consistent only with the predictions of the intrasexual competition hypothesis.¶ · Despite marked RSD (males c. 75% of female body mass), throughout the nestling phase female nestlings did not require greater quantities of food than their male siblings. However, female parents fed their last-hatched sons but not daughters, resulting in the complete mortality of all last-hatched female offspring in focal nests. Given last-hatched nestlings suffered markedly reduced growth rates and female, but not male, body size is important in determining recruitment patterns, the biased allocation amongst last-hatched offspring is likely to reflect differing benefits associated with investing in small members of each sex, consistent with broad-scale Trivers-Willard effects. Recruitment patterns support this, with surviving last-hatched females, in contrast to males, unable to gain recruitment into the breeding population upon their return to the study site.¶ Thus selection appears to act at the nestling, immature and adult stages to maintain RSD in the focal population. Larger females were favoured in the nestling phase, at recruitment and once breeding had greater reproductive success. In contrast, selection favoured a reduction or maintenance of immature male size as smaller birds had a greater chance of survival in the year following recruitment than their larger counterparts; thereafter male size was unimportant. Together, this directional selection favouring increased female competitive ability is consistent only with the predictions of the intrasexual competition hypothesis, which appears the most probable in explaining the maintenance and perhaps evolution of RSD in raptors.

No description available.

Thesis (M. En.)--Miami University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 31).

Over eighty polar-themed exhibitions were held in Britain between 1819 and the 1930s, a time of intense exploration of both the Arctic and Antarctic. These varied from panoramas and human exhibits to displays of ‘relics', equipment, photographs and artwork, waxworks and displays shown as part of a Great Exhibition. This period also saw the creation of the first dedicated polar museums. These displays were visited by thousands of people throughout the country, helping to mediate the subject of exploration for a public audience. Despite this, the role exhibitions played in forming popular views of the polar regions has not been fully assessed. This thesis addresses this gap. It is the first to consider all the polar exhibitions held during this period as a collective body, making it possible to study how they developed over time and in response to changing circumstances. The thesis uses a variety of archival sources to both reconstruct the displays and place them in their historical and museological contexts. The study shows that exhibitions evolved in response to changes both in the museum sector and in exploration culture. It demonstrates that, while they were originally identified with the shows of the entertainment industry, polar exhibitions began to take on more of the characteristics of museum displays. At the same time their dominant themes changed; the natural world was relegated in favour of ideas relating to the human experience of the regions such as heroism, adventure and everyday life in an exotic environment. While other media may have been more effective in disseminating ideas about exploration, visitors could find the experience of visiting an exhibition more compelling. This thesis contributes to our understanding of this distinct role that exhibitions played in presenting the polar regions to the British public.